Dragon Knight of the Sea
by Kender20
Summary: Based on Hans Chirtian Anderson's The Little Mermaid but with a twist: You won't believe who falls for the human! AtemTea
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I'm glad I don't!

Dragon Knight of the Sea

Prologue

Picture this. There is a prosperous kingdom, with cities bustling with crowds of people in the busy streets. Merchants sell their wares, a couple of performers mingle with the populace expressing their talent, and families go about living their daily lives. In this realm, magic and monsters can be found everywhere. Of course, this is not where this tale begins. For you see, not so far away from the mainland, there was another kingdom, one that was a thousand times more magnificent. Few people knew it existed though, because this kingdom is found right under a vast ocean. What is common knowledge among humans is the presence of creatures that look human, except that instead of legs, they have the tail of a fish. But the ones that most humans encounter aren't true merfolk. You see, the true merfolk are completely different from what you traditionally visualize. True, they have the appearance of humans with fish tails instead of legs, but there happens to be more differences than that. Just like real fish, the tails of the true merfolk do not have knees, but coil around. Another difference is that there is no trace of human-colored skin. Instead, the 'human part' of their bodies is the same color as their tail, and the same texture as well. Their ears are long and laced with fanned fins whose longest tips make them look pointed like the ears of an elf. Finally, their fingers are webbed, as befits an aquatic race. So to put it in simple terms, the true merfolk bear the appearance of anthropomorphic fish. There are two kinds of true merfolk in fact. One is the Dolphin Folk, who live close to the surface of the water. Those who reside farther below the ocean are known as the Deep Dwellers. This kingdom under the sea, in fact, is the home of the Deep Dwellers…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: The Deep Dweller Royals 

The realms by the Coral palace were in great anticipation. Even within the palace wall, a group of Deep Dwellers were busy with decorations, preparing for a joyous celebration that was to take place on the next day. A young merman was looking at his seaweed tinsel in confusion in his lavender eyes. His scaly skin and tail was in the striped pattern of pale yellow and lavender, with fins fanned out like that of a lionfish spread on his back, below his navel, and on his forearms. Clusters of decorative yellow fins cover his head to give the illusion of hair.

"Hey Gramps," he said, turning toward an old merman sitting on the corner, "where do you think this should go?"

The old merman, Solomon by name, cupped his chin into his webbed hands in thought. He was short, but sturdy, his scaly skin and tail the color of ruby, black, and gold in striped pattern of a coral snake, which was dull and turning a silver hue. But he too had the fins of the lionfish, though they were drooping a bit with age. The fins on his head were a spiky silver, and drooping fins shaped like lightning on the front acted as bangs framing his face, which was covered with a mustache and beard formed from catfish-like whiskers. Soon he pointed to a carved out wall in front of him, guiding the eyes of the younger merman.

"Over there would be nice, Marik," he said, "just make sure it doesn't get tangled when you put it up."

Marik swam to hang the decoration, just as a young mermaid came by with a bouquet sea lilies in her hand. Though a teenager, she appeared more like a mermaid in her early twenties, the fins that fan out below her navel and on her back and forearms all marked with beautiful circular patterns. In contrast to her younger brother, Marik, she was completely golden, though her long flowing head fins are a jet black. Ishizu couldn't help but smile as she put down the bouquet. Today was a special day, and tomorrow even more special. Satisfied with her placement, she looked up and called out, "Hey, Atemu, aren't you going to help out?"

"Hang on a second," replied a lithe young merman in a baritone voice. Atemu, the Crown Prince, had just finished polishing the nooks and crannies of a very detailed sculpture. He is the eldest child in the royal family, which puts him in the position of inheriting the throne. He is quite a regal sight, for even though he is fifteen, he appeared as a merman of eighteen. Like his and his younger siblings' grandfather, Solomon, his whole body was the striped with red, black, and gold, in the pattern of the infamous coral snake, but the scales are more vibrant and bright with the strength of youth. Large lionfish fins graced his back and forearms, as did a pair of similar fins just below his navel, and the spiked fins on his head were black with red tips, and the lightning-shaped bang fins were a bright golden hue. At least three of those fins literally stood on end, streaking his head fins. Most importantly, he wore a simple gold crown with a Sennen Eye in the very center.

"There, that's done." Atemu said as he surveyed his work. He swam to Ishizu and Marik, his younger sister and brother respectively. "You look like you're in a good mood Ishizu." Atemu said smugly.

"Of course," Ishizu replied, "The baby of the royal family is going to come of age. And so today, she's decided to perform on stage!"

Solomon gave a blissful sigh. "Ah yes, the youngest of my four little grandbabies is finally growing up. She's going to be wonderful tonight."

"Why wouldn't she be?" Marik remarked in an annoyed tone. "Kisara's got the most beautiful voice in the entire kingdom." He turned to his elder brother and smirked. "Of course, that doesn't mean she's the only one with that gift. A certain someone happens to be gifted with the most _handsome_ voice in the kingdom."

"MARIK!" Atemu yelled, blushing. But it was true; Atemu had a voice whose beauty equaled that of his baby sister's. Together, he and Kisara make up the two most beautiful voices in the kingdom. But there is a difference between the two. Kisara is always ready and willing to sing, whereas Atemu seldom sings at all. That doesn't mean it wasn't put to good use however, for his recitals of poems and soliloquies are astounding. Solomon gave a hearty laugh with this knowledge in mind, making Atemu blush even deeper. "Don't worry, you don't have to sing a duet with Kisara tonight if you don't want to." He chuckled. Then suddenly, he looked around. "Speaking of whom, where is she anyway?"

"Oh my!" Ishizu gasped, a worried look on her face, "We have to find her! She'll be late for her own performance!"

"Aw don't sweat it Sis." Marik said in a matter-of-fact sort of was as he rested his head by the window, "Knowing her, she's out searching for some artifacts of the Realm Above, as usual."

"Ah, I see." Solomon mused. "In that case… Atemu, would you mind going out to fetch her? With her reputation as an explorer, it's likely she'll lose track of time. If anyone can find her and bring her back my boy, it's going to be you."

"You can count on me Grandpa." Atemu said, smirking as he retrieved his trusty platinum spear. "I'll bring her back before the whales start singing." And with that, the Crown Prince was off to find his sister. He heard five important words from his family as he left the palace.

"Good luck, and be careful."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: A Friend and a Shipwreck

A few hours passed by, and there was still no sign of the youngest royal, much to Atemu's frustration. _Where in the sea can she be? _He wondered. _She couldn't have wandered off that far_. Just then, he felt the water brush against his fins. Before he could draw out his spear and take his battle position, he heard a familiar voice calling to him in greeting.

"Why, if it isn't Atemu Boy! Fancy meeting you here in this part of the sea!"

Atemu looked behind him to see a handsome Deep Dweller swimming towards him. He has a long tail that resembled an eel's, and his whole body was covered with maroon colored skin the texture of rubber. Silvery lavender fins lined his eel tail, and long fins decorated his head to mimic hair the same color as the fins lining his body. A fold of those fins covered the left side of his face, concealing his left eye. Atemu's own eyes widened as he recognized the merman swimming towards him, as did a relieved smile. 

"Pegasus! Just the merman I need to see!" Atemu exclaimed. He swam towards Pegasus and shook hands, for he had been friends with the enigmatic eel man since he was a small merboy. "I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now, and I need your help."

"A dilemma you say?" Pegasus replied, grinning almost insanely, "Do tell. I'm willing to help out."

"Well, I'm looking for my baby sister, Kisara. You don't happen to know where she is, do you?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I think I do." Pegasus then pointed in the direction of an empty wilderness stretching as far as he could see. "Recently, I've heard that the ruins of a newly sunken ship has landed somewhere in that area, with treasures from the Realm Above waiting to be excavated. I was taking a nice little swim when I saw your sister swim in that direction." Pegasus' face suddenly turned more serious, which made Atemu quite worried. "Of course, I also heard that schools of sharks swim about…"

"WHAT?" Atemu exclaimed, "Are you serious? Oh God, I need to go find her, and fast!" He was about to swim away as fast as he could when Pegasus called out, "Wait! I'll come with you! I know these waters more than anyone else, and I don't want you to get lost like Kisara would be!"

"Thanks Pegasus, I appreciate the help." Atemu said, "Now hurry! We have to get to her before the sharks do!"

Pegasus smiled as he swam by his friend's side. "You truly are a paragon of chivalry, aren't you? When there's a damselfish in distress, you're ready to come to their rescue."

* * *

The two mermen swam for a few measures before they finally came across the ruins of a recent shipwreck. "Fascinating." Pegasus mused, "It seems like the local gossip was true." Atemu, although impressed by the size of the ruined ship, replied, "Knowing Kisara, she wastes no time in exploring ships like this one, because they hold human treasures within." Suddenly, he caught the glimpse of a rather infamous predator of the deeps. "Oh no! We have to get in there to find Kisara, and fast!" And so, the two friends swam onward. 

* * *

Inside the ship, a young mermaid had just come across some human tools that she found quite interesting. Anyone who saw her could agree that she was quite lovely. Her scaly skin was white, with each scale tinged with azure at the tips. The fins below her navel and on her back spread like aquatic wings in blue and white stripes, as did the fins that graced her forearms. Her long head fins are an azure-white hue, shimmering as they move in the water. Her most striking feature was her deep blue eyes, as blue as the ocean itself. This is Kisara, the youngest of the royal family. She had always been curious about the Realm Above (or the surface, as humans called it) ever since she was little, and even then she had a taste for adventure. Of course, being inexperienced in exploration, she tends to find herself in rather sticky situations. Luckily for her, her eldest brother, Atemu, was never far behind when she needs help. Yet now that she's coming of age, she insists that she go on her ocean adventures without a bodyguard. Such is the case in this adventure she's taking part in now. She looked over the utensil that she now holds in her webbed hand, her face lightened in excitement. "Amazing! I've gotta take this to Grandfather. He knows all about these things." She said. As she put the utensil in her knapsack, she was surprised to find a familiar face swimming into the room she now floats in. He sank down to the bottom, nearly exhausted from the speedy swim. "Whew! This thing is like a maze!"

"Oh, Pegasus! What are you doing here, of all places?" Kisara said, obviously happy to see him. Pegasus recovered from the exhaustion just in time to flash a nearly insane smile.

"Kisara Girl, why we've been looking all over for you!"

"We?" Kisara asked in confusion. Then it dawned on her as to who else was in the ship. "Oh! Atemu's with you too? That's great! Where is he?"

"I'm right here Kisara!" Atemu yelled as he too came into the room within the ship. Kisara swam toward her brother in excitement. "Big Brother!" she squealed, "I'm so happy you're here! You gotta take a look at what I found!"

Although he was also excited about his sister's discovery, Atemu still expressed a serious expression. "Kisara, I'm happy you found something, but--" 

"Check this out!" Kisara interrupted, sticking the human utensil into his face, "Isn't it amazing? I'm going to have you and Grandfather appraise this as soon as I get home!"

"Well, that's what we're here for!" Pegasus explained, "Besides, haven't you forgotten what today is?"

"Fiddleweeds." Kisara said, "I turn fifteen tomorrow, and that's more important than today. Why are you so concerned about it."

Atemu replied with a simple little question: "Isn't there a concert you're supposed to take part in tonight?" That did the trick. Kisara jolted in mid-swim as if in shock. "CONCERT?" she shouted, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO? C'MON LET'S HURRY AND GET HOME!" She had just grabbed her brother's hand to swim out when suddenly, a menacing growl emitted from outside. Pegasus turned around just in time to see a large row of sharp teeth right in front of him. "Yaah! Looks like there's another reason to hurry up!" Pegasus exclaimed. And right then the jaws of a huge shark snapped at the ruined window. Pegasus dodged out of the way, as more sharks surged in like a school of man-eating plankton. Kisara screamed, horrified out of her wits as one of the sharks surged toward her. "Get back!" Atemu yelled, shoving his sister out of the way. Taking out his spear, he gripped it in the defense position just as the shark made contact. While he was blocking the shark equivalent of a bull rush, Atemu shouted, "Pegasus, get her out of here, NOW!"

"But what about you?" Kisara said as Pegasus grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry about me Kisara," Atemu replied, "You get back to the palace as soon as possible."

"But Atemu--"

"I'll be just fine! Now GO!"

Pegasus tugged at Kisara's arm, saying, "You heard your brother, now let's get out of here!" And away they swam, leaving Atemu behind. Taking advantage of the shark's preoccupation, Atemu swings his spear, slashing the menace with the killing blow. A cloud of blood gushed through as the shark fell dead. The Crown Prince glared at the sharks, and spread out his fins the way a true lionfish would. "I don't want to kill natural creatures such as yourselves, but you give me no other choice!" With a fierce battle cry combined with a feral hiss, Atemu charges at the sharks, showing no mercy. A slash on one, a pierce in another, and one by one the sharks fell dead to the ocean floor. Such was the Crown Prince's superior skill in battle. No other merfolk warrior in the kingdom could match him in that skill. The survivors of the shark school fled, but three large sharks continued to press on the fight. One of them lunged at Atemu with large toothy jaws wide open. The royal Deep Dweller dodged the attack, but was slapped by another shark's bull rush. It pushed him right through the ship's wall, knocking the water out of his gills and injuring his side in the process. Thankfully, it was a mere wound of the scaly flesh, but it was bleeding profusely. He grunted in pain, but he was otherwise unfazed by the shark's counterattack. "That's it…" he growled, "NOW YOU'VE REALLY MADE ME MAD!" The three sharks charged toward the prince, ready to tear him to pieces. But there's a reason why fellow warriors gave him the title of "Coral Snake Lionfish". He dodged the attack of the first shark, then struck him with his large fins, for just like a real lionfish, his fins are also camouflaged stingers, loaded with a potent venom. The shark roared in agony as the poison coursed in its veins. Another shark surged toward the Prince, only to be struck by the spear on its side. It too, was stung, and it fell dead immediately. The third shark, after seeing the merman's prowess, turned coward and swam away as quickly as possible. The first shark also fled, but Atemu smirked, knowing that it won't survive long with the venom still working. Tired from the battle, Atemu managed to bandage up his wound with a long strand of seaweed. _Well, that's that,_ he thought, _now it's time for __**me**__ to go home before everyone gets worried_. With a push of his tail, he swam off for the palace.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Beginning of Flashbacks

Meanwhile, as they neared the palace, Pegasus and Kisara stopped. "This is where I leave you your highness," Pegasus said, "I need to get home myself, but let me know how the concert went, all right?"

"Okay," Kisara said, "Thanks again for bringing me home."

"Oh don't thank me," Pegasus said as he was swimming away, "Thank Atemu Boy for rescuing you."

When Pegasus was out of sight, Kisara swam towards the palace. He's right, Atemu has done so much for me. Kisara thought, smiling. Approaching the palace, Ishizu and Marik came into view. "Kisara!" exclaimed Ishizu, glomping her baby sister, "Thank goodness you're safe! Where have you been?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Kisara replied, "Am I late for the concert?"

"Not really." Marik smugly answered, "The concert hasn't started yet, BUT you're on in just three minutes."

"THREE MINUTES?" Kisara wailed, shocked at the time that had passed by. "I'd better get ready while I still have the time!" shoving past her two siblings, she rushed into the dressing room.

* * *

The light within the Royal Theater was dim, save the one shining on the stage. The audience applauded wildly as Kisara swam up from behind the curtain. Up in the balcony, the royal family watched as the young princess began her performance. The regal and godlike King Akunumkanon smiled with pride as his youngest daughter sang. No one in the balcony noticed at first, but soon, Atemu quietly made his entrance, sitting by his father. It was then that they all turned to see the worn out Crown Prince, for he was absent when the concert began. "Atemu, there you are!" Akunumkanon whispered, "You're late, and that's not like you to be late. You got me a bit worried because of that. Where in the ocean have you been?"

"I'm sorry Father." Atemu said sheepishly, "I had a swim-in with some sharks when I went to retrieve Kisara. They gave me quite a challenge."

"Good Grief!" Solomon quietly gasped, "No wonder you got hurt! I'm going to get one of the Cure Mermaids to heal you as soon as we're finished with the concert!"

"Thank you Grandpa." Atemu said.

As the concert went on the King struck up a little conversation to his family. "I am glad to have you as my father," He said to Solomon, and then turning towards his children he continued, "And I am proud to have you four as my children. Tomorrow Kisara will finally turn fifteen. It's going to be a grand celebration indeed."

"I couldn't agree with you more Father," Atemu mused, "It brings back memories…" And Atemu began to reminisce about his past.

* * *

Deep Dwellers, in contrast to humans and the Dolphin Folk, are egg layers, and fertile mothers lay as many eggs as possible, because sadly the infant mortality rate is rather high due to the dangers of the sea. Some eggs never even hatch at all. So laying a large number of eggs ensures that at least a few of them survive to see their first days. So when the wife of King Akunumkanon only managed to lay four eggs one day, the King was disappointed. His heart ached, knowing the possibility that all of them might die before they were even born. But his disappointment slowly vanished within the span of a single year as one by one, all four eggs hatched into four healthy babies. First came Atemu, the eldest child, whose birth brought hope to his parents. Three months later Ishizu, the eldest daughter, was born. Three months after that, Marik came into the world. Finally, in springtime, the youngest child, Kisara, hatched, and the King's disappointment vanished entirely and turned into joy. The years passed by, and each child expressed a distinct personality. Atemu, the heir to the throne, was the living example of chivalry, the merfolk's equivalent of a knight in shining armor. He is also a champion when it comes to playing games. Ishizu was the motherly figure of the family. She helped her parents in raising her siblings and so they see her as a second mother. She is gifted with the healing arts, and she is more than happy to care for the sick and the injured. Marik, in contrast to Atemu, was a complete scoundrel. He's the one who almost always gets into mischief. Although he loves his brother, he is jealous of him, because he wanted to be king. In their younger days, Marik often teases the Crown Prince, annoying the latter to no end. As a result, it was Marik who usually gets bonked on the head via a stone thrown long distance by his brother. Last, but not least, was Kisara, the most adventurous of all of them. Even in her childhood, she loved to explore. Atemu is envious when it comes to her freedom, because in all honesty, he never really wanted to be king. 

When he was three years old, a strange sort of mermaid family came to visit in a festival. They had no gills, no scales either, and they had actual hair much like humans do. All over there were unique patterns similar to that of orcas and hourglass dolphins. These are some of the Dolphin Folk and among them Mahaado, his first friend. His long hair and the dark parts of his body were a dark purple, a recognizable color whenever they visit. It was he who first told Atemu about the Realm Above, and he was astounded. Upon hearing of the tales told by the Dolphin Folk, Solomon also began to share stories of the Realm Above, for in his younger days, he actually traveled there. He told the siblings of the strange but wonderful sights he had seen, and of creatures called humans. Unlike the two different types of true merfolk, the humans had soft skin ranging from a sun kissed brown to a pale cream, hands whose fingers are not webbed, soft hair like the Dolphin Folk, and round ears. The most profound difference of them all was, instead of a fish tail, they have two strong limbs called legs, that allow them to walk upon the land on which they live. He told them of the many differences between the two races, and the similarities that are just as numerous. The four siblings are fascinated by this Realm Above, but it is both Atemu and Kisara that were the most interested. Now it is a tradition among Deep Dweller royalty that children are not allowed to visit the Realm Above until the age of fifteen. The children of commoners and lesser nobles can make their first visit at the age of five, while the children of Dolphin Folk have always visited it. But the royal children were considered too precious and too vulnerable to the dangers of the sea in younger stages to make such a visit until they come of age. And so Atemu and his siblings waited for that special day. Kisara especially anticipated it, because since she was the youngest, she had to wait the longest. Atemu, on the other hand, didn't have to wait as long…

Summertime came, and with it came great celebration because it was the day Atemu has been waiting for. It is his birthday, but not just any birthday. That's right, he is now fifteen, the age when merfolk of royal lineage can visit the Realm Above for the first time in their lives. And after that, they are free to visit the Realm Above again and again, anytime they desire. Atemu had just swam into the hall where a feast was being made in his honor. It so happens that his grandfather and his siblings are among those who are preparing the grand party. "Well now, here comes the birthday boy!" Solomon laughed heartily. The Crown Prince gave the kindly old merman a gentle smile. "My aren't you a happy prince!" Ishizu mused, "Normally, Grandpa's comments tend to embarrass you to no end since you went past ten."

"I know Ishizu," Atemu replied in excitement, "But I'll humor him today. Besides, this birthday put all the others to shame!"

"Of course," Kisara said, "You finally get to see the Realm Above!" And happily, she gave her brother a big hug. "Tell me all about it when you get home!"

"Don't worry Kisara, I will."

"Hey Bro!" Marik called out, and the moment Atemu turned towards his feisty younger brother, his smile quickly faded. For Marik was surrounded by seven golden oysters snapping their shells. "Before we get this party started we've gotta get these oysters on ya!" Of course, Atemu recoiled at the sight, for this is the only part of his birthday that he does not like at all. You see, for the royal merfolk who are coming of age, live oysters of gold are the latest…uh, 'thing' in fashion. They are fastened on the tail, and the number of said mollusks vary in the order of age from eldest to youngest. More often than not, the eldest gets the largest number of golden oysters, which is seven, signifying their status as heir to the throne. But the shells clamp onto the tail so hard that they actually hurt. The Crown Prince backed away, saying, "Marik, there's no way you're going to make me wear those…those _things_!" But Marik swam closer to his brother, as did the oysters. 

"Aw C'mon, don't go guppy on me now! It's part of the tradition!" Marik insisted. To Atemu's dismay, Solomon pushed him towards the seven golden mollusks.

"Grandpa!" Atemu yelled in protest.

"As much as I hate to admit it, your brother is right." said Solomon, "It's your fifteenth birthday after all."

Ishizu swam to her panicking elder brother. "Don't worry Atemu," she reassured, "It's only going to be for one day." Atemu sighed in defeat. Soon the golden oysters swam to the Crown Prince, and one by one with a snap, snap, snap, the oysters clamped hard onto his tail, three on the left side and three on the right. As each oyster fastened itself, Atemu's eyes widened in a painful sort of shock. He clamped his own mouth shut to keep from screaming. But when the seventh and final oyster clamped its shell right on the very tip of his tail, he could hold it in no longer.

"YEEEEEEEOOOOWWWWWWWWWWCH!"

That scream was so loud that everyone in the palace heard him from miles away. And after that, he began to swear and swish his tail wildly. To the onlookers, it was the most hilarious thing they had ever seen. "Now, now, there's nothing to complain about," Ishizu giggled, "Besides, you look handsome with those oysters on you."

"WELL I DON'T FEEL HANDSOME!" Atemu yelled in pain and anger, "THESE DAMN OYSTERS ARE KILLING ME, I TELL YOU! GET 'EM OFF!"

Marik gave a sadistic grin, and called out, "Heh, heh. Bro, you're the legendary Coral Snake Lionfish, able to shrug off the pain of a thousand battle wounds, yet you couldn't even handle a bunch of measly mollusks pinching you on the butt."

"THIS IS DIFFERENT!" Atemu roared. Kisara winced, but in pity of her suffering brother.

"Uhh, Marik, I think it's best you keep your mouth shut," she said cutely, "unless you want him to bombard you with a shower of rocks." Marik shut his trap, but he couldn't resist cackling. 

"All right now, that's enough fun with the oysters." said Solomon, just as his eldest grandson began to calm down, "Let's concentrate on the feast, because well, it's all ready." Upon hearing this, Atemu smile returned. As he took his seat, he gave Marik his infamous glare.

"You think it's funny now," he growled, "But let's see you laugh when _you_ turn fifteen…" 

* * *

It was a fantastic feast, and the entertainment was well performed. Finally, the time came to prepare for his first journey to the Realm Above. Atemu was outside the palace looking upward. This was the moment he was waiting for. Just then, Kisara swam up from behind him. "Atemu!" she called out. The Crown Prince turned and smiled, just in time to receive a hug. 

"I'm so happy for you." She said when she broke from her hug, "Not only are you free to visit the Realm Above, you also get to see your Dolphin Folk friend more often!"

"I know." Atemu said, "Up until now, I only get to see Mahaado only once or twice a year. I'm happy for the change. Oh by the way, he's going to be my main guide."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Kisara said. Before Atemu could say anything else, Kisara took out a decorated scallop shell. "Before you go, I want you to have this." She handed the shell to him, and he stared at it in amazement.

"Go ahead, open it!" Kisara said.

He did, and his eyes widened in awe. Inside was a beautiful golden circlet, with a large Sennen Eye decoration marking the center. "Kisara!" he gasped, "Where did you get such a thing?"

"I asked one of the goldsmiths to make it for you." The princess said, smiling. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Atemu replied, "I love it! Thank you so much!" With that, he took the crown and put it on his head, so that the Sennen Eye was seen right on his forehead. 

"Please be careful, OK?" Kisara asked, "Since you're the eldest child, you'll be going up there alone, and who knows what dangers might come your way."

Now this tradition goes for royal Deep Dweller families with multiple children, like the one Atemu is part of. When the eldest child makes their first trip to the Realm Above, they must go alone. When the next sibling turns fifteen, the eldest accompanies that sibling. In other words, when a younger sibling comes of age, all those who had already had their fifteenth birthday join the celebrant, until finally, all of the children go on a grand adventure to the Realm Above. Atemu gave his sister a strong but gentle hug, giving her warmth and comfort.

"Don't worry Kisara, I will." He said. Then he released her and held the hilt of his spear. "I'm capable of taking care of myself, and that's why I'm bringing this, just in case I encounter trouble." Kisara smiled as Atemu began to swim upward.

"I'll be sure to tell you when I saw when I get back." He said. And after they waved goodbye, Atemu continued to swim up to his journey.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Flashback; The Realm Above 

Atemu didn't know how long he had been swimming, but he knew he was far from home. As he swam upward, he began to notice that the surrounding waters began to change from a dark navy to a brighter azure hue. Since the kingdom of the Deep Dwellers lies in the deepest part of the ocean, the whole kingdom glows with a bright light of its own. Atemu was amazed at the brightness of the waters closer to the Realm Above, and forged ahead. Before long, he noticed a strange swishing wall above him. Beyond that, he saw a bright blue, with a shining globe that was so bright, he had to avert his eyes. _What is this?_ He thought, could this be the Realm Above?

"Atemu? Is that you?" a voice suddenly called to him in his head. His eyes widened in confusion at first, but then he realized, _Of course, it's one of the Dolphin Folk! And that voice sounded familiar too_. Since the Dolphin Folk cannot breathe water like a Deep Dweller such as himself, they often communicate via telepathy when underwater. Atemu turned around to the source of this voice. He could not believe his eyes.

"Mahaado!" Atemu shouted in elation as he swam to his violet Dolphin Folk friend. Both of them gave each other a brotherly hug.

"Atemu! Ha ha ha, congratulations your highness!" Mahaado cheered telepathically. "I've been waiting for this day! Finally, we can see each other as often as we like!" Once they separated from the hug, Atemu looked deep at him with excited eyes.

"This world is so bright up here!" he mused, "Has it always been this way?"

"Not exactly," Mahaado answered, "It's only this bright in the daytime, and when the skies are clear like they are now."

"Skies?" Atemu said, puzzled.

Mahaado mentally slapped his own forehead. "Oh, right. This your first time up here." He then took Atemu's hand, saying, "In that case, let me be the first to welcome you to the waters near the Realm Above. Come, we have much to see!"

The two mermen came closer to that rippling wall of water, where Atemu noticed a large school of Dolphin Folk swimming. As he stared in fascination at the school, a pretty mermaid among them noticed the Prince and his friend. There was a grin as she swam towards them. "Mahaado! Hi there!" she said.

"Why, hello Mana," Mahaado greeted. Atemu got a good look at this mermaid when she approached. Her smooth, rubbery skin was white like most Dolphin Folk, but where the black patterns would be, the patterns were a marbled swirl of pink and blue. Her hair, however, showed itself to be a sandy blonde in contrast. In spite of the blushing pink on her cheeks, this mermaid expressed her spunky personality.

"Your Highness, I would like for you to meet Mana," Mahaado introduced, "She's my childhood friend, and my apprentice in the art of magic." Atemu was amazed at this. He knew that Mahaado had mastered sorcery since he last saw him, but to become a teacher in those arts? Needless to say, the Crown Prince was highly impressed.

"Prince Atemu!" Mana mentally squealed, "It's so nice to meet you! What brings you here?" Then she stopped in mid swim as realization entered her head. "Wait a minute… Y-you haven't been up here before. So if you're up here, then this could possibly mean…" she gasped, then squealed loudly in joy. "Happy birthday Prince Atemu! You're going to absolutely love what you're about to see! C'mon!"

Atemu quickly followed Mana as she swam towards the wall of water, with Mahaado behind him. Atemu saw some of the Dolphin Folk looking at him, most of them greeting him warmly. He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Mana burst through that wall. Boy was he shocked when she got sucked in, but he became even more confused at what he saw next. He could still see her, but behind the wall she appeared blurry. Then, with a muffled splash, she returned to the water as quickly as she left. And she was smiling, laughing even! Why? She swam to Atemu, bubbles trailing her before floating up to the wall. "Heehee C'mon Atemu! It's gonna be fun!" she said before swimming back up. Atemu, however, hesitated. He was rather scared of this wall. But Mahaado put a webbed hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you highness, it won't hurt you." He said. Then, to Atemu's shock, Mahaado also swam up, burst through the strange wall, and after a brief moment, burst back into the water with a splash. The merman swam to the prince in high spirits and said, "Beyond this wall of water lies the Realm Above. It's not exactly as watery as down here, so this is where those lungs come in handy." Then, swimming back up, he called out, "Don't be afraid, come up beyond the water! You'll love what you'll see!" Atemu looked up. Though he was uneasy at the situation, he shoved those thoughts aside. _If Mahaado and Mana can do this,_ he thought as his friends went through the walls with only their heads, _then so can I_. Gathering his courage, he took one look at the wall. Then, he closed his eyes, and with a swish of his tail, he surged toward the wall. Before long, he felt himself penetrating the wall, and a new sensation covered him as his head entered the world beyond. It was a strange sensation, as the surroundings were breezy dry. At first, he started choking. But then his gills shut tight, and his lungs took over for the first time. After gasping in his first breath of this strange thing called air, he opened his eyes and looked around him. Mahaado and Mana were right. What a fantastic sight that met his eye! There was a bright blue above him and it was painted with a cluster of white puffs. Around him, the water looked different. It was as though it had suddenly taken shape and he saw that it surrounded him. It was then that Mahaado swam up to him.

"Welcome to the Realm Above!" he said. Atemu was startled at the sound. There was something different about his friend's voice.

"Mahaado?" Atemu asked.

"Yes your highness?" Replied Mahaado. And as he spoke, Atemu noticed that, for the first time in since he first met him, Mahaado's lips actually moved! He was surprised, but his surprise turned into delight.

"Mahaado! You spoke to me! Without telepathy!" Atemu said.

Mahaado smiled. "Why of course I did. Were you surprised? We Dolphin Folk breathe the air of the Realm Above, so we have to hold our breath when he go down to your world."

"Aha! So that explains why you speak telepathically and why you visit my home so rarely!"

"Exactly!" And then Mahaado began swimming, splashing water as he did. "Come and play with us for a while. There are so many things I want you to teach!"

"Like what Mahaado?" Atemu asked.

"This!" Mahaado replied, and he flicked his tail. He was briefly in the air before he dove in, and then he burst wholly out of the water, soaring high in the air before falling back into the water.

"Isn't he amazing?" Mana said. Atemu need not answer, because his eyes said them all. What an extraordinary ability! To jump out of the water and fly up in the air, if only for a brief moment.

"Mahaado, that was amazing!" Atemu shouted, "Can you show me how to do that?"

"Of course." Mahaado replied. And so he spent the time teaching the Crown Prince how to jump. Atemu is gifted with the fact that he learns very quickly, and after just three tries, he was leaping as high as the other Dolphin Folk. What a thrill it was, the wind in his head fins, the rush of the air surrounding him. Like he was…flying. And speaking of flying, he had just finished up with his jumps when he saw some strange animals flying overhead, giving a curious noise as they did so.

"Mahaado, Mana, look up there. What _are_ those creatures?"

"Oh? Those are seagulls." Mana answered, "They're a kind of bird that's common in these parts."

"Amazing!" Atemu mused. Then an idea struck at him. His clearly recalled the stories his grandfather told him about his travels. "Is there other life in this world, too?"

"Yep!" Mana piped up, "As a matter of fact, I know somewhere where you can find a whole lot of life."

"Excellent idea Mana!" Mahaado said in praise of his pupil, "let's go there next!"

* * *

It took the trio a few minutes of swimming and leaping before they reached their destination. Atemu was amazed at this large mass of land that stuck out of the water. It was very beautiful, too.

"Now Atemu," Mahaado explained, pointing to the sandy beach ahead, "when you get closer to that strip of land you see over there, the water around you becomes more shallow. Where the waves crash and recede is where dry land begins. Since we have fish tails we cannot travel farther inland."

As they got a closer look, Atemu could see the strange green plants that dot beyond the beach. There were tall trees standing high, and flowers add color and a sweet fragrance. Already, Atemu loved it here.

"Believe it or not," said Mana, "it is on this dry land that humans make their homes." Her eyes widened in excitement when she looked in a certain direction. "Oh! What a coincidence! Look over here, your highness!"

"What is it?" Atemu asked. When he did, he saw yet another amazing wonder. There, not so far away from the strip of land that made the beach, lies a cluster of building that make up a large city. Atemu was daring enough to swim up to get a closer look. Taking a hiding spot from a huge rock and peeked from behind it. What he saw took his breath away. Within this city, were creatures that look just like the merfolk in shape of the upper body, but in lower body much different. Two limbs replaced the tail, and instead of colorful scales, their skin were flat, and in shades from dark brown to pale cream. They were dressed in all sorts of interesting clothes, from a pleasant rustic style with simple earthy shades, to dazzling shirts, breeches and dresses in just about every bright color of the rainbow. They hustled and bustled about in the streets, doing all sorts of things. It didn't take long before Atemu figured out what those creatures happen to be. _Humans!_ Atemu thought, his smile brighter than the sun, _Grandpa, they're just like in stories you tell me! And now here they are, right before my very eyes!_

* * *

The three friends rested upon a rock, spending the rest of the day observing the humans and talking with each other. The climax of his adventure was when he made witness to his first sunset out of the water. It was more beautiful than he ever imagined it, as the sky changed from its bright blue into a rosy mix of reds, pinks, oranges and yellows where the sun began to sink.

"It's at this point when the daytime ends and the night begins. I'd show you, but I think it's about time for you to get home." Mahaado said.

"You're right, my friend," Atemu sighed. He climbed off the rock and dove into the water. Resurfacing, he called out, "But the best part is that I can come back anytime I want! In fact, I'm already planning on coming back tomorrow. You'll be there Mahaado, won't you?"

"Anything for a friend!" Mahaado replied, "And next time I show some more things, including the sky at night."

"And a sunrise too!" Mana giggled. Both Dolphin Folk waved to him.

"Goodbye, your highness!" Mahaado called out, "We'll see you tomorrow!"

Atemu waved goodbye in turn and dove back into the water.

Meanwhile, the three other siblings were waiting outside the palace for the return of their brother.

"What's taking him so long?" Marik complained.

"Marik be patient," Ishizu scolded, "It's Atemu's time to shine. He's been waiting to go up there for a long time."

"Ishizu's right." Kisara said, "Although, I really do miss him." Kisara began to express this worried look in her face. "I sure hope he made it all right."

"Hey chill, Sis!" Marik said, "Atemu can take care of himself. Besides, I'll bet you that if he gets back, he'll throw a particularly large rock from a long distance to knock me on the head." Suddenly, as if on cue, a particularly large rock _did_ knock him on the back of the head. "OW!" he shouted. The two sisters looked towards the source of the stone. Guess who threw it from a long distance like predicted?

"Atemu! You're home!" Kisara squealed, and he swam over to the returning prince to give him a good glomping. Then Ishizu swam up to her brother. "Welcome home Atemu!" she said.

Marik, still rubbing the back of his head, said to him, "Wow, some things never change. You still got good aim, Bro. Any harder and you would have knocked me unconscious—or even killed." Marik then straightened up and grinned, "Anyway, welcome back! What's it like up there."

"Be patient Marik, I'll tell all of you about it." Atemu said. He then looked down at his tail. "But first, let get rid of those oysters. They've tortured me for long enough!"

Once all seven oyster were removed from his tail, Atemu went on to tell his family about his adventures in the Realm Above. He was sure that Kisara went to sleep dreaming about all the sights he had seen.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Flashbacks; A New Friend and New Journeys

Of course, Atemu's adventures in the Realm above had just begun, as he clearly recalled. Two days after his birthday, he was swimming up to visit the Realm above for the third time. As he approached the watery surface, he noticed something different about the scene ahead of him. A strange oval shape was floating above him, but what caught his attention even further was that by the strange shape, a school of fish swam in a large cluster inside a strange web. Dolphins were leaping out of the water, reappearing inside this web, and then leaping again to jump back out. Curious at this sight, Atemu decided to get a closer look. When he saw that the strange floating shape was made of wood, he gasped in recognition. _A ship! And it's not even in ruins!_ Atemu thought, _this could only mean that there are humans here in this part of the sea. But what does this web have to do with it?_ Atemu swam towards it, peeking between the strands to find that the dolphins were corralling the school of fish from within, and after eating their fill, the dolphins leap over out of the web. Among the dolphins, there was a tiny calf swimming with its mother. When she jumped over the web from beyond the water from which he was watching, the calf tried to imitate her. To Atemu's horror, the baby, in its clumsiness, got itself entangled in the web. It tried to swim free, but the web seemed to get tighter, much to its dismay. Being the chivalrous young merman that he is, Atemu swam into action. Approaching the calf, he made an attempt to calm it. 

"Shh, it's all right Little One, I won't hurt you," he said with gentleness in his voice. It seemed to have recognized his melodious tone as he spoke, because it began to calm down almost immediately. Studying the web, he noticed that the thick threads were almost in knots. Quickly, he pulled and twisted the threads in his hands, maneuvering his arms to undo the knot that held the calf in danger. It wasn't long before he stretched the web nearly as large enough to release the baby. 

"There, your free now." Atemu said with a smile, "Now hurry on to your mother. I'm sure she's worried about you." The calf, grateful for its freedom did a jump out of the water (away from the net, of course) and swam away with its mother. Atemu was just about to leave the web himself, but then he felt something pull onto his arm. His eyes widened in dismay when he turned to see his arm trapped in the knot of the web. In trying to free the dolphin calf, he got himself entangled in the process. To make matters worse, the web was shrinking into a spherical shape, surrounding and trapping the fish. 

"Oh damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" He shouted in a panic as he felt the fish pressing against his trapped arm. Once again, he tried to undo the knot that trapped him. But then he felt himself being dragged upward, web, fish and all. The threads were coarse enough to scratch skin, which made the Crown Prince thankful that the small scales on his skin were just as strong as the large scales on his tail. He continued his attempt, even as he felt himself surfacing from the water. He immediately adjusted to the lungs as soon as he found himself dangling in mid-air. Try as he might, he could not get himself free. He heard voices shouting as he was dragged up with the fish. 

"All right! The sea gods are smiling on me today!" he heard one male voice say, "Look at all those fish! I can't wait to put them in the market!"

"Tell me about it." Said another voice, this one gruff, "Huh? Hey hey, wait a minute, WAIT A MINUTE! Did you just see that? It looks like somethin' weird just got tangled up on the side of the net! Pull it up some more!"

_Net?_ Atemu thought, _is that what this web is called?_ Before any more thoughts entered his head, he noticed that he was pulled higher above the water, until he found himself dangling above the deck of the small ship. There, he saw a human male standing close by, and his expression had turned to surprise as if he couldn't believe what he saw. This human has a strong, sturdy build, whose skin was a golden tan color bred from the sun, and on his cheek was a long straight diagonal scar. Spiky black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and a strip of white and blue cloth was wrapped around his head like a bandana. The only other clothing he wore were a pair of shorts and nothing more. Looking around some more, Atemu was just as surprised to find who, or what, was at the very side of the ship. One looked just like a shark, but it had human arms and shoulders upon a humanlike torso. The other creature by it resembled a mermaid with a blue tail, but her upper body had skin and green hair that is more like a human than a true merfolk. A ruby red bow was strapped behind her back, which was no surprise for the Crown Prince.

"Well I'll be!" said the human in a hushed voice, "What is that thing?"

"Ah, I know what he is!" exclaimed the mermaid-like creature, "he's one of the true merfolk!"

"True merfolk?" questioned the shark creature, "Are you sure Ruby? He don't look like any true merfolk I've ever seen."

"Great White, have you been studying?" said the mermaid-like girl in a tone greatly tinged with annoyance, "There are two different races of true merfolk. The ones we usually see are the Dolphin Folk, because they live close to the water's surface. This one is a genuine Deep Dweller! Sightings of such merfolk are very rare."

"Huh?" said the shark creature stupidly, "Deep Dweller?" He then stared at Atemu, who was still in a panic from being caught in the net. "Oh yeah… I forgot."

"All right you two, enough with the science lectures." The human said to the duo of sea creatures, "this denizen of the deep in is need of help. He did get tangled in the net after all." Atemu was in a daze as to what this human had said. Is he really going to help him? And if he is, how? It was right at this moment that the human brandished what looks like…a dagger? All reason flew out of the proverbial window right then and there. Atemu let out a screech that sounded similar to some monstrous beast, fanned out his fins and began to thrash about while making yet another attempt to untangle the knot wrapped around his arm.

"Hey, hey, calm down! I'm not going to try to hurt you or anything." The human calmly tried to explain. When he first tried to get close, Atemu flapped his fin in an attempt to sting him, and the human jerked back to dodge the attack with a "Whoa!" coming out of his mouth.

"Stay back!" Atemu hissed in a mix of anger and fear, "I'm warning you! Don't you come any closer!"

"Hey, it's all right my friend, it's okay. You've got nothing to worry about" the human said, and he held his dagger as a means of display. "And besides, I'm not going to use this to stab you at all. Now just relax for me, Okay?" Atemu listened to the human's words very carefully and relaxed a bit, but he refused to let his guard down. The human approached, and Atemu braced himself for a potential attack. Indeed, the human took hold of his trapped arm and raised his dagger. But to his surprise, the human went on to cut the tangled rope carefully to bits. When the last tangled thread was sliced, Atemu was set free, to his relief, but he dropped rather unceremoniously onto the deck, as did a few fish. 

"You see my friend?" said the human as he came towards the fallen merman, "No harm done." Although grateful of the human for setting him free, Atemu still didn't trust him entirely. He stood on his hands, tail coiling, and he fanned out his fins as wide as he could possibly fan them. 

"I said stay back! I have venomous spines, and I'm not afraid to use them!" Atemu hissed. The human stood in confusion, but then he smiled and let out a hearty laugh, which Atemu actually found quite pleasant.

"Ah yes, the spines of the lionfish. Beautiful creatures I admit, with those fins spreading out like a fan. Yet this beauty lures the unsuspecting prey to their doom, because the fins are stingers that inject a very potent venom. It is best not to disturb this fish, if you want to survive an encounter." Atemu lowered his defenses, amazed at what he heard. Here, right in front of him, is a human who is gifted with knowledge about the sea! 

"H-how did you know this?" Atemu asked.

"Ha ha ha, it's quite simple. The sea is my friend, and I have always loved the sea since I was small." The human proudly explained, "And any friend of the sea is a friend of mine! So allow me to introduce myself. I am Mako Tsunami, and I am a fisherman by trade."

Atemu, warming up to Mako, replied, "Oh, I see. Pleasure to meet you, then. I am Atemu Shadowstream, Crown Prince of the Deep Dwellers."

"You're a prince?" The mermaid-like girl said in awe. "Wow! I've never known any prince before!" She then climbed onto the deck and into a gigantic oyster shell by the cabin door. "It's such an honor!" she said, "I'm Ruby. Most people know me as the Red Archery Girl for my bow and for my skill in using it." Atemu smirked, interested. Ruby points to the shark creature. 

"Over here is Great White. He's a skillful warrior, but sometimes he tends to be forgetful."

"Hey!" Great White shouted upon hearing the comment, pouting because he knew it was true. Now it was Atemu who gave a hearty laugh. 

"I have a feeling that we'll get along just fine!" Mako said, smiling. Atemu looked up.

"For some reason, I believe you're right." He said, "Thank you for releasing me from the… what do you call it? Oh yes, the net."

"It's my pleasure." Mako replied, "There were times when a dolphin might get stuck on occasion, and when that happens I usually jump overboard to get them out. The dolphins who swim in and out of the net are some of my friends, and they help me in making the catch of the day."

"Amazing! You really are a friend of the sea!" Atemu mused. It was at this moment that he began to notice that he was starting to dry up. And that it was beginning to get difficult to breathe. It seemed that Mako noticed too, for he ran to get a bucket of clean water and doused some of it on the prince. 

"By the looks of it, I believe it's time to get back home. If there's one thing I know about the true merfolk, it's that they cannot survive out of the water for longer than an hour or two. Dehydration is deadly to both the Deep Dwellers and the Dolphin folk. And the Deep Dwellers suffer a double whammy, because they can't breathe air beyond the limit of their lungs unless they are in the water. The gills need to breathe too, but you already know that." Mako explained. 

"Thank you Mako." Atemu said when he was able to breathe again. "I guess it is time we depart."

"We'll meet again soon, right my friend?" Mako asked, reaching out his hand.

"Yeah, come back when you got some free time!" said Great White cheerfully. Ruby only smiled with anticipation. Atemu stared at the trio, and slowly, a confident smile crept up his face. He reached out his own webbed hand. The merfolk prince and the human fisherman gladly took part in the handshake.

"Of course… my friend." Was Atemu's reply.

* * *

Atemu smiled at the memories that ran through his head as his sister's concert went on. It has been almost a year since he made his first trip and made his first human friend two days afterwards. Since then, he made multiple visits. He spent time with Mahaado, Mana, and the rest of the Dolphin Folk, learning of their culture and their ways of life. Mahaado even taught him of about the land and the creatures of the Realm Above. He even visited Mako and his aquatic crew when their ship was at sea. Their loyal friendship has never flinched. Atemu would talk to the fisherman about his life under the sea, of his kingdom, his people, even his family. Mako, in turn, recalled more detailed stories and knowledge about his human kin. One time, he even taught the Crown Prince about a flickering light called fire. To help him understand, Mako described the heat of fire in comparison to the underwater volcanoes that dot the sea floor away from the Deep Dweller kingdom. Ah yes, the times they had. And the more he visits the Realm Above, the more entranced he became of it. Ever since his first visit, he had a secret wish to give up his throne and live in the Realm Above. Sometimes he imagined living with the Dolphin Folk; other times, he yearned to live close to the lands of the humans. But Atemu mentally sighed. As long as he is the heir to the throne, his secret wish would be impossible to grant. But now's not the time to think of such things. Ishizu began to speak right at that moment. 

"With Kisara's birthday coming up, I couldn't help but be nostalgic too." She said, "Atemu, do you remember the day I turned fifteen?"

"Why of course Ishizu." Atemu mused, "What made you think I forgot?" Ishizu gave no reply and just smiled. Three month after Atemu made his first trip, Ishizu turned fifteen. When six oysters got fastened to her tail, Atemu was surprised t find that she didn't flinch one bit; in fact, she looked blissfully calm. The feasting commenced, and when the time came, Atemu guided Ishizu upward to her first journey to the Realm Above. When they arrived, Mahaado and Mana greeted them, and they surfaced together. It turned out that Ishizu was more content to stay a good distance from the human lands. So Atemu showed her the beautiful landscape, and as fate would have it, they had arrived just in time to see a gorgeous sunset. Pairing it with the human ships that sailed in the distance, she found it to be her favorite part. It is this experience that she told to the family upon their return.

"And then there was Marik," Ishizu said, "Whose birthday came three months after mine." Apparently, Marik heard her, because he decided join in the conversation.

"Oh yeah! It was the best day of my life! Except, of course, for the oysters." Marik said, his expression turning sour at the mention of the oysters, "Man, I hate those oysters! They're a big pain in the kabakachookers-- Literally!" Atemu, on the other hand, smirked in satisfaction. 

"In my case, it's a moment I'll savor for the rest of my life!" Atemu said. Marik just growled. He had five oysters pinching his tail so hard that he literally swam everywhere in four rooms of the palace, screaming bloody murder in sheer agony and emitting a stream of curses even more foul than Atemu spoke on his birthday. His only reply to this on that day took the form of three simple words: "Now we're even." After the feast that followed the oyster pandemonium, Atemu and Ishizu traveled with Marik in his first journey. It was winter when he was born, so they all got a glimpse of something new. There were large slabs of ice floating in the water, similar in appearance to mountains of white crystal. Marik himself sat on the foot of one of the ice mountains, and he found it thrilling as the cold winter breeze tossed his head fins. Later on the same day, the three adventurers traveled towards the human lands. Marik, being the daring scoundrel like he always had been, traveled further inward through a river path when his elder siblings were not looking. There, he saw a view of the Realm Above that his siblings had yet to see, up close and personal. The sides of the river were surrounded with trees laced with snow. Already he couldn't wait to see the same scene in the other seasons. Then he soon came upon a clearing. Looking past that, he saw a group of small human children playing in the snow. Some of them were making round sculptures with two to three large balls of the chilly white fluff, and he saw other children throw smaller balls at each other, which was quite hilarious in his eyes. Now it so happened that a strange little creature, a cute little snakelike dragon with wings, took notice of the merman. It let out a squeak of alarm and the children took notice too. They let out screams of shock, and they called him a monster and other things that he would rather forget. Then in a flash the human children ran away. They were already far from the bank when Atemu and Ishizu found him. The three went home then, and Marik became the storyteller to Kisara and the others. Three more months had passed since then, and now it is going to be Kisara's turn. 

"And now all of us will go to the Realm above together." Atemu said. "This will be the biggest venture yet!"

"I couldn't agree with you more." Said Solomon. 

"But that is for tomorrow, my children," Akunumkanon said, "Right now, Kisara's has one more song to perform before the time of slumber begins."

Note: 'kabakachookers' is a word myfamily uses for 'butt'. My mom uses it the most!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Statues in the Garden 

After the concert was over and many merfolk praised her for her wonderful singing, Kisara approached Atemu with a look of excitement in her face. What's she up to now? Atemu thought.

"Atemu? Do you have a moment?" Kisara asked.

"Why of course, is there a reason you asked?" said Atemu. Kisara grinned wider.

"There's something I want to show you," she giggled, "It's on display in my garden! C'mon and take a look!" And she took her brother's hand and dragged him with her.

* * *

Among the Deep Dwellers, gardens are popular with mermaids of all ages, and the princesses are no exception. Ishizu and Kisara love setting up gardens of colorful sea flowers, almost to the point of obsession. And like most mermaids, their gardens are filled with decorations, which happen to be artifacts made by human hands. There are differences between their gardens that let the onlookers tell whose garden belongs to who. Ishizu's garden was arranged in a way that it looks like a humpback whale from a distance. Kisara's garden was simply a circle with lines surrounding it, in imitation of the sun. Ishizu had many human items dotting her garden, like musical instruments, dining utensils, weapons, books, you name it! Kisara's garden is the most famous however, for it had nothing but a large collection of statues, all of them which depict the human figure in both genders. It is to this garden to where Kisara led her eldest brother. It was no surprise for Atemu on how much the blue eyed princess loved the human body. He stared at the large collection, which was set like a gallery. Some of the statues are rather abstract, but Kisara's favorite statues are the ones that are the most realistic in form. These statues are also highly favored by the prince, who considered them the closest to the real humans that modeled them. Some of them were actually naked, and they came in handy when there are lessons involving the human anatomy. Others depicted the subject human in fine clothes. Kisara's voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"Atemu! Come look at this!" she squealed, pointing to a statue he had never seen before. It depicted a beautiful young human woman, with short hair reaching to the top of her shoulders and a slim figure that was covered with a long silky dress, like what a young Greek woman would wear. There was a peaceful expression on her face, like she was looking upward at the stars. And in Atemu's opinion, the statue showed that the woman had the prettiest pair of legs he had ever seen, legs that are ready to dance. Needless to say, Atemu found himself enchanted by the beauty of this statue.

"Kisara!" he gasped, "This…This is amazing! Where did you get such a thing?"

"I found this two days ago." Kisara replied, "By the looks of it, I have a feeling that it's brand new, so I got some help in transporting it. Isn't it pretty? And it looks so real too!"

"Well I'm so glad you got to show it to me." Atemu said, "Right now, though, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

"All right." Said Kisara. As she swam away, she added, "I can't wait to come up to the Realm Above with you!"

"Neither can I." Atemu said, before he too started to swim away. But before he entered the hall that leads to his room, he stopped for a minute for one more glimpse at the woman depicted in the statue.

Note: That's a short chapter, huh? Read my "Determination" story too, and don't forget to give me a good review on it!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: The Night Sky, and the Sighting

The next day, it finally came. At long last, Kisara is fifteen. It was in the late afternoon when the feast was prepared in her honor. All of the members of the royal family were present. King Akunumkanon sat at the banquet table along with his beautiful wife were looking upon their youngest daughter with pride. As for Marik, he was in boredom mode, and was taking a rest on one seat with his tail on the table. Solomon was there too, looking at Kisara with a tinge of pity. Why? Well, Kisara just got her four golden oysters attached to her tail, and she didn't take it very well. 

"Ishizu!" Kisara wailed, "It hurts so much!" 

"I'm sorry Kisara," Ishizu said calmly, "The pain will grow dull after a while. You'll barely notice it." But her reassurance didn't seem to help, as the blue-eyed mermaid continued to sob in pain. When the true merfolk cry, they shed tears of liquid pearls, and Kisara's face was streaked with such pearly tears.

"I can't—I can't take this." Kisara choked out in the midst of her crying. Atemu couldn't help but feel sorry for his sister. He swam up to her, and gave her that warm loving embrace. Kisara accepted it with no hesitation, crying on his shoulder.

"It's all right Kisara, let it all out." Atemu said softly as she continued to cry, "You're a very brave mermaid to go through with this. Do you know that?" She nodded, as her sobs slowly died away. It took a while before she was calm again, and when Atemu wiped away her remaining tears, her cheerfulness returning. That was when the feast began.

* * *

The celebration lasted until evening arrived, in which the time came for Kisara to travel to the Realm Above with all of her siblings. Everyone was outside with them, congratulating her and wishing her luck in her journey. 

"I'll be missing you all while you're up there." Solomon said, "Make sure to be careful, all right."

"We will, Grandfather." Replied Kisara. At the same time, Akunumkanon was talking to his eldest son.

"Atemu," he said, "Since you, Marik, and Ishizu would be accompanying your baby sister, I have but one request to ask of you. I want you to make sure that no harm comes to her."

Atemu smirked. "You have no need to worry, Father. By my spear, I will grant your request and keep her safe." This made the King smile. As soon as everyone said their good-byes, the four siblings swam beyond the palace. They stopped for a moment, and Atemu asked, "Well, you guys ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Marik shouted. Ishizu nodded in agreement. 

"Kisara?" Atemu said. His reply was an enthusiastic nod with a cheerful "Mmm-Hmm!"

"All right then," Atemu shouted, "Let's do this!" At that, the four begin to swim upwards. It took a few minutes before they reached the point where the surface of the water hovered above them. 

"Is this where the Realm Above is?" Kisara asked, "It's so dark up here!"

"That's because it's nighttime." Marik replied, "Wait until you see what it's like during the daytime!"

"Hello out there!" shouted a telepathic voice that the others knew so well. They all turned just in time to see Mahaado and Mana swimming towards them, smiles on their faces. 

"Mahaado! Mana! I am honored that you're here!" Atemu said. Ishizu and Marik followed. 

"Hey, wassup!" Marik greeted, "You're just in time! We brought someone we want you to meet!"

"Oh really?" Mahaado said, amusement in his voice.

"That's right! Of course, you already know her through Atemu," Ishizu explained, "But since today's a special day, this will be the first time you will ever see her—up here!" And Kisara swam up to the Dolphin Folk couple, right on cue. 

"Hello!" she said cutely. This caused Mana to utter a telepathic squeal of delight as she swam up to the princess as glomped her.

"KISARA! YOU'RE HERE!" Mana then broke from the embrace, just in time to ask, "You don't happen to be the lucky birthday girl, do you?"

"Heeheehee, Of course I am!" Kisara giggled. 

"Mahaado, I believe it's time to show Kisara the Realm Above," Atemu said, "Would you do the honor of leading us?"

"Of course!" said Mahaado. Kisara was especially excited about this, and did not hesitate following the others as they broke through the surface. Her head penetrated the watery barrier and she choked a bit before her lungs took over for the first time. Kisara was enchanted at what she saw above her.

"Wow! Look at that!" Kisara gasped in excitement. 

"Hey Bro," Marik said to Atemu, "I think you should tell Kisara about the nighttime sky. You're the expert by now."

"Gladly!" Atemu replied. He swam towards his baby sister, still staring at the sky. "Kisara, let me tell you about what you're seeing right now."

"Okay." Kisara said. Atemu them pointed upwards. 

"Do you see those tiny glowing pieces of light shining up there?" Kisara nodded and the Crown Prince continued. "These are called stars. You can see them only at night, like right now. When I first saw the stars, the first thing I did was connect those stars together in my head with lines, until they formed a picture." Atemu then directed Kisara's attention to a round silvery disk that was brighter than the stars, but with a soft glow. "And over here," he said, "is the moon. It's a full circle now, so it's bright enough to give more light in the darkness of night. But on other days, it has a different shape. There are even days when you don't see it at all."

"It's beautiful." She said in awe, "it's like a large luminous pearl." Suddenly, just as she had finished he sentence, a loud noise broke the overall silence. It was like an unnatural screech, and that scared Kisara. Ishizu began frantically to look around.

"AAAH! What was that?" she screamed, as if to answer her question, the screech suddenly ground to a halt, and was replaced by an even louder 'boom' as a cluster of light burst into a speedy bloom. The noise, at first, was enough to make the two princesses scream and they dove down to avoid whatever monster was going after them.

"WHOA! HELLO!" Marik yelled out and he too dove his head in the water. But Atemu, Mana, and Mahaado stayed, staring at the light in awe. Soon, the three under the water resurfaced to see the colors before them. They lingered before they disappeared altogether.

"Did you see that?" Kisara shouted, "What _is_ that thing? Is this a part of the nighttime sky?"

"No! Not at all!" Mahaado shouted, as a smile slowly began to appear on his face. "This is the creation of the humans!" A smile of excitement also appeared on Atemu's lips as he recognized the cluster of light, just when another cluster loudly burst into bloom like a flower, this time in a different color, a ruby red specifically.

"Of course!" he said, "Now I remember! These are what humans call fireworks, right?"

"That's right!" Mana squeaked cutely, "Humans use these at night whenever there is a really big celebration going on."

"Really?" Kisara said, her expression turning into that of excitement, "Wow! I didn't know humans can make things like this!"

"But wait, we usually see fireworks on the human lands." Atemu said in confusion, "So where are _these_ fireworks coming from?"

There was a long pause while the fireworks show was going on. The group looked at each other, before turning slowly behind them. There, in the distance, was the source of the fireworks, floating majestically on the water. Everyone let out a gasp, for they were in awe at the size and beauty of the vessel. 

"Uhhh, call me crazy," Marik said, "But is that…a ship?"

"A ship?" Kisara said. Her face became bright with a thrilling excitement. "Awesome! Hey, look, this must be what it looks like when it's not in ruins right? And when there's a ship like this, there must be humans on there!" What she said next shocked the rest of the group: "This I gotta see!"

"Kisara, wait!" Atemu shouted to her. But it was too late. She had already started swimming right toward the ship, leaping like a dolphin as she did so.

"Wow, she actually knows how to jump out of the water." Marik said blandly, even though his eyes were wide in surprise. "And we didn't even need to teach her."

"Marik, stop gawking at our sister! We need to follow her!" Atemu said in anger at his brother.

"Atemu's right," Ishizu said, "We don't want to get her in danger while she's trying to get a close-up on the humans, do we?" Marik just shut his mouth before he let himself make any more stupid comments. 

"Let's go! Since we can't stop Kisara from trying to satisfy her curiosity, I think it's best to take advantage of this opportunity and get up close to those humans ourselves." Then Atemu, too, started to swim towards the ship, with the four other merfolk swimming behind him. Meanwhile, Kisara had just reached the ship in record time. _Amazing!_ She thought,_ I've always known that ships are really big, but this is bigger than I imagined it to be!_ Her curiosity was just as large, of course, and she decided to get an even closer look. Spying a piece of rope, she took hold, and started climbing. She had just climbed almost halfway up the deck when she heard voices calling to her from below.

"Kisara! Wait! Don't leave us behind like that!" one of them said in a familiar baritone voice. She looked down just in time to see her siblings and their friends swimming towards the ship.

"Aieee! Did you see how huge this thing is? It's about the size of a blue whale!" Mana shrieked, suddenly feeling small herself. 

"I know Mana," Mahaado replied, "But let's go up to see who's on there." He held his two webbed hands, palms apart, and a soft glow started to manifest between him. "I think it's time I put this spell to good use. Everyone, put up your hands. And Mana, put your hands in the position I have now. This is a good time to practice this new spell I taught you."

"Okay!" Mana said obediently, and she concentrated hard before a similar glow appeared between her hands. Then, with the words "Frog Climb." softly spoken, the two Dolphin folk magicians cast their spell on their hands, then went on to touch the hands of the three royal adventurers that were still in the water. 

"Jump up onto the surface of the ship," Mahaado instructed, "The magic will take effect then."

Atemu nodded, and leaped towards the ship. Immediately his hands stuck onto the sides of the ship like a frog's webbed feet. He had already started climbing when the others followed his example. Kisara, on the other hand, continued to use the rope, and all of the travelers scaled the ship until at last they reached the top. Kisara was the first to reach the deck of the ship, and she lifted her head towards it to take a peek. Hearing the gasp of excitement coming from his baby sister, Atemu figured that she is delighted at what she just saw. His assumption was confirmed when he was reaching her, when Kisara gestured him to come.

"Atemu! Come here! This is so cool!" she whispered.

Atemu had just reached to where she was and he asked, "What is it Kisara? Did you see something you like?"

"Heehee c'mon and see for yourself." She said. And so Atemu gripped onto the corner of the deck and lifted his head to take a peek. He gasped in surprise at what he saw. There on the deck was a large group of humans, men and women, young and old. There was delightful music playing on the deck, and everyone had an aura of happiness around them. Most of them were dressed in a multitude of bright colors, and some of them were playing the instruments that brought about this cheerful music. There was long table that held many kinds of food that neither the Crown Prince nor his baby sister ever saw before, and a group of humans feasted on the food, along with strange creatures that mingled with them. Another group was dancing to the music, their steps bringing grace to their energetic movements. Some strange creatures were also present there, and they were having just as much fun as the humans. Atemu's eyes were wide in amazement, and for a moment, he was speechless.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: The Human Princess

"Hahaha, look at all of those humans!" Kisara said excitedly, "Have you ever seen this many humans up close in your entire life?"

"Kisara," Atemu gasped, "All I can say at the moment is…wow! No wonder the ship is so big!" It was right at this moment that Marik came up onto the side of the deck, and lifted his head up. 

"Whew, what a climb!" he panted, "Whoa, this ship is packed…" Soon Ishizu also joined her siblings along with Mahaado and Mana. "Hey you guys, check it out!" Marik said.

"I don't believe this!" Ishizu whispered. "I didn't know that a ship is capable of holding so many humans!"

Mahaado gasped out at the sight and said, "Yeah… and not only that, the atmosphere seems quite festive. Atemu, I can't but wonder…what could they be celebrating?"

"I don't know." Atemu replied, "But I enjoy watching them as they take part in it. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever been on a ship other than Mako's. I _did_ tell you about Mako Tsunami, didn't I?"

"In case you didn't notice," Marik said sarcastically, "You actually brought us with you to meet the guy." 

"I didn't meet him." Kisara said.

"We know Kisara." Mana said, "But now that you're fifteen you can finally get that chance." Well, just as the merfolk adventurers began to talk about the human fisherman, they didn't realize that said fisherman had noticed them—until they heard footsteps coming right towards them. And by the time they looked up, he was already crouching right in front of them. Needless to say, Marik was freaked out by the sudden face-to-face close-up. 

"Hello my sea dwelling friends!" Mako greeted.

"Mako!" Atemu said, "What a delightful surprise! What are you doing here of all places?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Mako replied, and when he looked at who was with the Crown Prince, he let out his hearty laugh. "Well, looks like there's somebody new in this circle! Who is this lovely mermaid with you?" Marik asked.

Kisara, suddenly shy, attempted to hide behind Atemu. But she managed to poke her head out as Atemu explained, "This lovely mermaid, I am proud to say, is Princess Kisara Shadowstream, the youngest of my family. It's her first time up here."

"Really?" Mako said, interested.

"Uhh… Uh-huh." Kisara said meekly, her face slowly revealing a smile. "Today's my birthday. I'm fifteen now." At that, Mako let out another hearty laugh. 

"Is that so?" he said, "What a coincidence! There's someone on board who's turning fifteen today too! In fact, this celebration you're witnessing right now is in her honor. I got an invitation to join the festivities and so here I am."

"Lucky you." Marik said, smirking. He didn't smirk for long though, because an annoyed Ishizu bonked him right on the head with her fist. 

"Speaking of lucky, Mako, who is this human girl who shares the same birthday with my sister?" Atemu asked, "It is a girl, right? And with a party that is this big, she must be very important in your world."

"You listen well, my friend!" Mako beamed, "The lucky lady is none other than Princess Tea herself! I'm surprised you never even heard of her in your travels. Her kindness, generosity and her love for her people is known far and wide!"

"How sweet! I understand why everyone here is so happy about this occasion," Ishizu commented cheerfully, "they all must love her for such kindness."

"And they do." Mako said, and he got up on to his feet. "Now if you want to, you can look around some more. It's not everyday you get to witness a spectacle such as this!"

"Oh! Good idea! Mahaado, let's go to that side of the ship to get a different view on the festival!" Mana squealed as she tugged her master toward her. Likewise, Marik had his eyes on the food and he decided to get a closer view at what those humans eat. Ishizu decided to come with him to make sure he doesn't cause trouble.

"Atemu, Kisara, do you want to come with us?" she asked.

"No thank you." Atemu answered politely, "I'd rather stay here for a while. I'm interested in watching the humans dance."

"I'm going see the fireworks." Kisara said, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," said Ishizu, "Be careful out there." And she moved onward, scaling the side of the ship. Kisara had just started to maneuver herself to someplace where she could have a better look at the fireworks when something on the high part of the deck caught her eye.

"Huh? That's strange." Kisara said.

"What's strange, Kisara?" Atemu asked.

"Look over there," she said, pointing to the silhouette of a lone figure ahead of them, "Am I seeing things or is there something familiar about this human?" there was a pause between the two before Kisara said, "I think we need to get a closer look."

"Hmm, that sounds like a plan." Atemu said. So the duo started to move towards to where the figure is standing. Atemu wasn't far behind his sister, who nimbly scaled the ship even though she did not receive the 'frog climb' spell like he did. When they had reached the point where they could see the figure more clearly, Kisara let out a large gasp. 

"Aha!" she proudly exclaimed, "I knew there was something familiar about this human! This is so cool!"

"What is it?" Atemu asked, curious about what Kisara noticed. She gestured him to come closer.

"Atemu, look at this!" she said. When Atemu got to where his sister is, he did look. The figure turned out to be that of a human woman. "See that?" Kisara said, "She looks just like the statue in my garden, doesn't she?"

Atemu concentrated at this woman and his eyes widened in wonder. There is something familiar about this human girl… and so much more.

"You're right Kisara!" he gasped, "She looks exactly like your statue! Only…in life, she's…much…more…"

"More what?" Kisara asked.

"_Beautiful!_" Atemu replied, with a look of enchantment in his eyes and the tone of his voice a sudden whisper. Kisara stopped smiling, now showing a look of silent shock over what her brother just said. But he did not notice it. Somehow, he could not take his eyes off of that lovely human girl before him. Indeed, she must be the living model of that statue, her lovely figure and face, and her flowing hair reaching just on her shoulders. But to see her with the color that distinguished her as a living, breathing creature made her even more enchanting. Her skin is a pale cream color, and her hair shines with the color of light chocolate. She wears a fancy pink dress with long sleeves, her shoulder left bare, and the flowing skirt was long enough to actually touch the ground. But what draws Atemu to this lady were her eyes. They are as blue as the cloudless sky in daytime, and they shine with the same wonder he has as she looked up at the fireworks. His heart began to beat fast. 

"So beautiful! If I were to write a poem about her, or even a song, I would not find the right words to express how…enchanting she is." He said in awe, "Who is she? What is the name of this lovely nymph before me?" He was going to ask more when he heard voices calling to the human girl. 

"Tea! Hey Tea!" a female voice called out, and the human girl turned around to see two more human women coming towards her, one who was about her age with long chestnut hair and amber eyes, and one in her early twenties with violet eyes and bright blonde hair. 

"Tea?" Atemu wondered aloud. Then his scaly cheeks became tinged with a pink shade in a blush as he realized what he had heard. Kisara must have realized this too, and she gasped.

"That's Princess Tea?" she said, "_She's_ the one who shares my birthday?"

"Tea…" Atemu said, "This is who Mako was talking about… Tea…" There was a smile upon his face the moment he said her name a second time. "Oh how that name graces my lips, for it now brings sweet music when I utter it!" It wasn't long before Tea opened her own smiling lips.

"Mai, Serenity! I'm so happy to see you!" she said in a sweet voice that made Atemu want to swoon. And in that same voice, she laughed joyfully, tickling his spine is a caress just as joyful.

"Kisara!" he whispered, not taking his eyes off the human princess, "Did you hear that? Her voice is like golden strings on a crystal harp! So heavenly!" _Oh please, speak again my Lady!_ he thought, _Let me hear your heavenly voice!_

"Tea, come on over to the main deck to dance with us!" said the girl with the chestnut hair. 

"Oh no thanks," the princess said, "But I appreciate the thought Serenity."

"C'mon, what's holding you back?" The blonde, whom Atemu assumed to be Mai, asked with a tinge of persistence. "You're one of the most graceful dancers in all the kingdom!"

"I know." said Tea, "but that's the problem when it comes to dances that involve couples." She went once more to the balcony of the deck, unaware that Atemu was under her and that he was listening to her every word. "You see," she continued, "every man in the kingdom wants to dance with me. But for some reason, I feel as though there's something missing."

"Really?" Serenity said, "Hmm, maybe it's because you have yet to find your special someone." Tea thought hard, then her face grew soft. 

"Yes, I think that's it." She said, then she looked up at the stars, her eyes becoming blissfully dreamy. "I do hope I find him soon, my special someone…"

"Kisara, did you hear what she just said?" Atemu whispered to his sister, "I wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Kisara asked, though she knew what the answer would be.

"Is it possible…" Atemu said, "that _I_…can be… her special someone?" It was at that moment that Mahaado approached the two merfolk. 

"Hey there you two," he called out, "I've been looking for you. It's getting late, and there's much more to see. Mana's already back in the sea, and she's waiting for you." Marik and Ishizu arrived on the scene soon after that.

"Well, I'm going to miss this ship." Marik said, "but it sure is fun. Let's show Kisara some of the beaches before we go home."

"As much as I want to stay longer," Kisara explained, "I'm just as ready to go to another place in the Realm Above. I'm not so sure about Atemu though." The others looked at Atemu to see him staring as if in a daydream.

"Atemu," Ishizu called out, getting the Crown Prince's attention, "I hate to interrupt you, but it's time to go!"

"Go?" Atemu said, suddenly feeling hurt, "But…but… How can I go? For some reason… I… I don't want to leave her!"

"Her? Who's 'her'?" Mahaado asked suspiciously, but he then he and the others took notice of the human girl that Atemu was looking at.

"Princess Tea?" Ishizu gasped in shock. 

At the same moment, Mai said to the princess, "Well at least try some of the cakes at the banquet table. They're to die for!"

Tea giggled, saying, "All right, you talked me into it, I'll go down." And she proceeded to move down to the main deck. But Atemu was distraught. 

"No, no! Tea, don't leave! Tea!" he begged. But she did not hear him, and suddenly the Crown Prince felt himself starting to choke. His gills need to breathe, and his quickly drying scales are in need of moisture, but he could not bring himself to turn away from the beauty that was about to disappear in the crowd.

"Atemu, come on!" Mahaado commanded, "If you don't get into the water now, you're going to suffocate! Now let's go."

"No!" Atemu protested, "NO!" His breathing was beginning to become more shallow, and Kisara decided to take action.

"I'm sorry Atemu," Kisara said, "But I have to do this!" And before her brother had time to react, she grabbed hold of him and pried him off of the ship. Soon they were both were falling. 

"TEA!" Atemu screamed as the plummeted into the water. And as he made contact with the sea, his body felt revitalized. Yet for some reason, he could feel a pain that the ocean could not banish, a pain residing in his heart. 

"Well, what took you so long?" Mana said when they resurfaced. "Let's get going!" Reluctantly, Atemu followed his friends and family, but he kept looking back at the ship, his heart aching even more than ever.

* * *

The group traveled for minutes until the ship was but a tiny silhouette in the distance. Atemu looked at that ship, realizing how far he was from it, from her. Pearly tears were running down his cheeks, and he did not know why. Ishizu decided to give a lecture then.

"Atemu, what were you thinking?" she said, "You were starting to suffocate, and we had to drag you into the water because you couldn't come down!"

"I'm sorry Ishizu," Atemu said ruefully, "But somehow, I couldn't bear to leave. And now…" he paused, putting a hand onto his heart before he continued. "My heart in pain. It is worse than any battle wound that I have ever suffered in my life. No matter how hard I try, I can't get her out of my mind!"

"You're getting me worried." Kisara said in concern, "what is happening to you?"

"Yeah, you looked like Mahaado when he had to take trips away from Mana." Marik said. 

"MARIK!" Mahaado and Mana yelled, blushing at the scoundrel's comment. It was then that Atemu remembered that confession his Dolphin Folk friend made to him: that he fell in love with his pupil. Was he not the one that helped to bring the two lovers together? 

"Can this be?" he said aloud, and it got everyone's attention then. Realization struck the Crown Prince like lightning. "Of course… why didn't I notice it before? I…I…" before he knew it, the pearly tear flowed more profusely. "I've fallen in love. With Tea! I've fallen in love with the human princess!" Everyone gasped in shock. They could not believe what they were hearing.

"That's not good." Marik muttered. Kisara sudden began looking around her, for the night sky was becoming darker.

"Mahaado?" she stuttered, "What's going on? Why is everything getting so dark so suddenly?" Mahaado started looking around, as did all the others. Overhead, dark clouds obscured the moon, and from it came a rumbling noise that can be heard for miles. They also noticed how the calm water was starting to move, slowly at first, then at a more rapid pace. Mahaado knew the signs all too well.

"The seas are getting restless." He said, "And can only mean one thing: we need to find shelter, and fast! A storm is approaching!" Atemu's eyes widened in shock. Ever since he first came to the Realm Above, he knew firsthand what happens to a ship that was unlucky enough to be caught in a storm. And one ship in particular happened to be sailing right on the roughening seas right at this moment!

"TEA!" he shouted realizing that the object of his affections was in danger. Before the others could react he sprang into action and started to swim back to the ship a fast as his tail could carry him.

"Atemu, wait! Come back!" Mahaado yelled, making an attempt to follow the prince. 

"Don't try to stop me!" Atemu yelled back, "I have a princess to rescue!"

"But Atemu--" Mahaado yelled, but was interrupted when a pair of arms belonging to Mana took hold of his tail and in mid-jump, he fell unceremoniously into the water. 

"It's no use Master," Mana said, "we can't change his mind! We don't even have the time to go after him! We have to find shelter with the others until the storm passes!"

Mahaado sighed in defeat. "Atemu… Please make it out alive." He said as he watched the chivalrous young merman swam towards the ship.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9: Daring Rescue

Lightning struck hard around the large ship, and people were running in fear for their lives. The waves around them were very rough, and many were swept overboard. Luckily for them the ship has escape boats on the side, and the guests of the party managed to leave in safety, just as the ship was shattering to pieces. And they have Princess Tea to thank for saving them. 

"Everyone, get on the escape boats, and hurry!" she shouted as she led a family off of the ship and into safety. Another bolt of lightning struck onto the sail, setting it on fire. 

"Tea, c'mon! We've got to get out of here!" Serenity yelled.

"No, I'm not leaving until I know for sure that the people are safe!" Tea shouted in determination.

"Tea listen to me!" Mai shouted in desperation, "It's getting too dangerous, you have to go!"

"I can't just do nothing while the storm is taking people's lives! And that's why I'm staying to help, no matter what!" Tea shouted. Unfortunately, it was at this moment that a large wave came and swept onto the edge of the battered ship where Tea was standing. Before she could react, she was herself swept overboard.

"TEA!" Mai screamed as she and Serenity helplessly watched their best friend fall far into the water. 

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time, Atemu was swimming at top speed. _Hang on my Lady,_ he thought, _I'm almost there!_

"Atemu, is that you over there?" a voice shouted in the midst of the loud rain. Atemu looked up just in time to see a small boat with a certain fisherman as the sailor accompanied by his two aquatic crewmates.

"Mako! Thank the gods you're safe!" Atemu said in relief, but then he went serious as question came into mind. "Where's Tea?"

"Tea?" Mako said, "She's still on board the ship trying to get everyone out of here!" 

"WHAT?" Atemu practically screamed, and he went off swimming yet again. "Hang on Tea, I'm coming!"

"Good luck with the rescue, and be careful!" Mako shouted, "There's a wild Fiend Kraken out on the loose! If you're out to rescue the princess, you'll have to deal with that monster too!"

"Got it, Mako!" Atemu shouted from a distance, "Thanks!" As the Crown Prince continued to swim towards the ship, Ruby and Great White turned toward Mako.

"Captain," said Ruby, "Great White and I are going with the Prince. We'll distract the Fiend Kraken while he escapes with the princess."

"Yeah, I'm hungry for some live squid!" Great White proclaimed with a toothy grin.

"Sounds like a plan," Mako said, "good luck to both of ya!"

"No problem!" Ruby said with a wink, "C'mon Great White!" And she started swimming ahead.

"Hey Ruby, wait for me!" Great White shouted from behind.

* * *

Atemu finally reached the place where the ship was, and he was horrified at what he just saw. The ship was already battered and in the process of sinking. There was fire on some parts of the ship too. Some of the humans still on board were hanging on to what was left of it, only to fall into the water. Many struggled to keep from either drowning or freezing to death. Somehow, he did not see the princess among them. He swam around calling her name, avoiding the falling debris as he did so. Finally he caught sight of a certain damsel in distress doing her best to keep her head above the water. _There she is!_ He thought. But as he had just begun to swim towards her, two enormous long tentacles burst out of the water, stopping Atemu in his tracks. The tentacles wrapped themselves around the princess, and they disappeared into the sea, dragging Tea down with them.

"TEA!" he screamed, his shock turning into a rising anger. _It must be that Fiend Kraken! That beast will not get away with this!_ With a high leap, Atemu dove in the water to chase after the tentacles taking his princess. It seemed that debris of the ship littered undersea as well, attempting to block his path. Taking out his trusty spear, he dodged the large wood, and those he couldn't go through he sliced with his spear with no effort. Swimming as quickly as he could, he finally came face to face with Tea's captor. The kraken's tentacles wrapped around her tightly by the knees and the waist, and bound her struggling arms like an extended rope that simultaneously squeezed around her neck. Poor Tea didn't know what to do. _Oh Divine Dragon, is this how I'm going to die?_ she thought, _What will become of my kingdom? My beloved people?_ She was starting to choke, both from the tentacle around her neck and from the surrounding water. Even if the squid would release her, there is still a possibility that she would drown. Certainly all the odds were against her. The Kraken pulled her towards it, anticipating its next meal. This infuriated Atemu even further, who was unseen by the princess. 

"You have taken so many lives, including that of humans," he roared, "but I will not let you take this life! Let her go, NOW!" And in record speed, Atemu lunged at the Kraken, and with a swing of his spear he sliced off the tentacles that held his beloved princess captive. The Coral Snake Lionfish was so fast, in fact, that to Tea he seemed like nothing more than a formless blur that disappeared as quickly as it came. The kraken itself roared in pain and the detached limbs loosened, freeing Tea. But she was still in danger, as she was quickly losing consciousness. Upon seeing his princess in the midst of drowning, Atemu quickly swam behind her and gently took her in the safety of his warm embrace, being very careful not to sting her by accident. Tea felt those strong arms wrapped gently around her, and she felt that comforting warmth that came with them, even though she did not see the one who gave that embrace. _What? Who…_ she thought before she slipped out of consciousness completely. This made Atemu quite worried.

_My Lady! Oh no!_ he thought, _I have to take her back to the Realm Above, and fast!_ Adjusting his arms so that one was holding Tea securely, Atemu used his free hand to assist in swimming back up to the surface. The Fiend Kraken, of course, was angry that this merman has denied it its dinner, and attempted to chase after him. However, another sharp point had suddenly buried itself in its side. It turned out to be an arrow, shot by none other than Ruby, the Red Archery Girl. 

"Hey you big bully!" She shouted, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

"Yeah, like me Sushi Breath!" Great White roared and he literally took a bite out of the squid. The kraken once again roared in pain, and turned its anger onto the two monster warriors, its previous prey forgotten. It tried to slap its tentacle onto the shark-man, but he just dodged its attack and started to taunt it, saying "Nya, nya, you can't catch me!" And the two of them started swimming as fast as they can, luring the Kraken away from its hunting ground. Meanwhile, Atemu had reached the surface with Tea in his arms. Water spewed out of her mouth, but that was all she did. He could tell that her lovely eyes were closed, but he did not know whether or not she was breathing. Inwardly, he began to panic_. I have to do something!_ He thought, and that's when it hit him. _Land! I have to take her to land! She's not safe until then!_ And so Atemu started swimming, carrying the princess with him. _I hope I'm not too late…_

* * *

Hours passed, and the storm was over. All night Atemu swam, desperately looking for that strip of land. Tea's life depends on it, and he knew it. At first, his search seemed to be in vain, and Atemu was starting to express his panic outwardly. Then finally, when the sun had just finished rising up from the horizon, he spotted land. There was a beautiful castle right by the beach, but he had no time to admire it. His Lady was more important. Nearly exhausted by the swim himself, he nevertheless continued swimming toward the sandy beach. As he came closer, the water became more and more shallow, until finally, he reached the land beyond the water. There, he carefully placed Tea face up on the sandy beach. It was only then that he examined her. She was still unconscious, with her eyes closed to all that was around her. Atemu shook her gently, while rubbing a hand to warm her freezing body. 

"Tea…?" he said. There was no response. He shook her again, his tears of liquid pearls streaming from his eyes as he dreaded the worst. "Wake up… Tea please, wake up! Open your eyes! Tea!" But there was still no response, and by now he cried like never before. "Why? Why won't you open your eyes?" And then that dreadful thought came to him. Was he too late? Had she…? Atemu took two of his webbed fingers and put them on the vein on the princess' neck. Hope slowly returned to him as he felt a weak pulse throbbing under his fingers. _She's still alive!_ he thought in relief. But then he took notice that she was struggling to breathe, even as she lay motionless. He had to do something! He soon remembered a lesson on CPR from Mako during one of his visits. Perhaps this would be the best time to put that lesson to practice. As he was pumping her chest to get the water out, he realized that the next part involved having to put his lips on…just thinking about it made him blush furiously. But, he reasoned, her life depends on it more than anything. 

"To hell with this!" he muttered and as soon as he finished pumping, he placed his lips on hers, breathing the air into her. The moment those lips met, he felt like his body was going haywire. And yet, he actually loved the sensation of those soft lips, for in his own they tasted so sweet. But as much as he wanted to linger, her could not, and so he continued with his CPR. His lips had finished transferring air for the third time, when he felt convulsions coming from the princess. His eyes widened with surprise, and instinctively he turned her to the side. Immediately she coughed out the remaining seawater and began to gasp as much air as she could possibly take in. Atemu rejoiced as his beloved had been revived. But then he heard voices coming from a nearby rock.

"Atemu!" said a sweet soprano voice. He realized immediately that it was Kisara. He turned to look and saw her with the rest of his siblings, along with his two Dolphin Folk friends.

"Bro, ever since the storm passed, we've been looking all over for you!" Marik said. "At least we know you made it out alive."

"Marik shut up!" Ishizu scolded, and then turned to her elder brother. "Atemu, since we found you, it's time to come home."

"Home?" he said incredulously, "I-I'm not ready to go home yet." 

"You have to." Mahaado said, "If you stay any longer your parents will start to worry about you. Not to mention your grandfather."

"But I just saved her!" Atemu protested, gesturing to the princess in his arms who was still coughing.

"Leave the human princess, Atemu." Mahaado said, "Besides, she's going to be just fine."

As Tea stopped coughing, Atemu felt his own gills constrict. 

"C'mon Atemu," Mana said, "you don't want to suffocate, do you?" Atemu looked down at the human princess, who started breathing more easily, and sighed in defeat. 

"All right, I'll go." Atemu said, "But can you at least let me stay until I know for sure she's safe?" Everyone looked at each other before Ishizu spoke.

"Okay, but stay in the water and hide with us, all right?" she said. At that moment, Tea began to stir. Reluctantly, Atemu laid her down and crawled back into the water. He joined his siblings from behind the large rock and watched.

* * *

The sound seagulls filled her ears, as did the sound of the waves. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find herself looking up at the sky. _Huh?_ she thought, _Where am I?_ She struggled a bit, but she managed to rise into a sitting position. She saw that she was on a familiar beach, the waves crashing against it. _What am I doing home? And on the beach for that matter?_ She thought. Then the horrific memory of the storm returned to her. _Oh Divine Dragon! I almost drowned!_ She thought in fear. But then she also remembered being wrapped in something warm while she was underwater, something that gave her a sense of comfort and security. Even now, she felt that loving warmth lingering around her body. But when she looked around, there was no one there. _What happened?_ She thought, _How did I survive? What was that warm feeling that's caressing me just now?_

"TEA!" a familiar voice called to her, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to see her friends running toward her, with Mai up front. And she was bawling like a baby as she ran. "TEA! YOU'RE ALL RIGHT!" before she could react, Tea found herself superglomped by the blonde. "We thought we lost you forever! Don't ever scare me like that that again!"

"Aww Mai." Tea said, "That's so sweet!" Soon Mai helped her up, just as her other friends came. Though happy to be surrounded by her loving friends again, she still couldn't help but think about that warmth, which had almost disappeared but had fixed itself straight into her memory.

* * *

Atemu watched as his princess was taken lovingly in the arms of several humans, some he hadn't seen before, and his heart began to ache yet again. 

"Well, she's in good hands now. You can stop worrying about her." Mahaado said to him calmly. "Now are you ready to go home?" Atemu simply nodded. When all the humans were out of sight, all of the merfolk adventurers began to swim homeward. He took one more look at the castle before him, before he dove into the water to swim home with his three siblings. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10: Longing and Heartache

On their way to the palace, the three siblings could not help but worry about their eldest brother, who was way ahead of them.

"What are we going to do?" Kisara said, "Should we tell our grandfather about this? Or even our parents?"

"No, we will not tell anyone about what happened." Ishizu replied, "If they want to know, Atemu will be the one to explain everything." Atemu, of course, did not pay attention to his siblings' conversation. The human princess, Tea was all that he could think about. He honestly did not want to leave her, but he had no choice. And that is what made his heart hurt even more. Soon, the palace came into view. And there, waiting outside for all the travelers, was Solomon who waved to them when they all came into view.

"Atemu, Ishizu, Marik, Kisara!" he called out cheerfully, "Welcome home! You all nearly got me worried for a minute! How was the Realm Above?" But Atemu was anything but cheerful. When he approached his grandfather, he only shoved him out of the way without a word, much to Solomon's utter shock. 

"Wha—ATEMU!" he shouted. But it was then that the elderly merman noticed the pearly tears shed by his eldest grandson as he swam away into the palace. "What in the Realm Above has happened to him?" he asked in concern.

"He'll tell you Grandpa." Ishizu said, "Ask him when he feels ready." Meanwhile, Atemu reached the garden of his baby sister. He quickly approached the statue that bore the strong resemblance of the girl that stole his heart, and embraced it. 

"Tea…" he sighed, the pearly tears flowing profusely. All his life, he yearned to find his own special someone. And now he has found her at last, but she was out of his reach. 

* * *

A few days have passed since he rescued his princess. For most of the daytime hours, he did not leave the statue. He just stared at it, barely doing anything else. He ate so little food that his parents began to worry for him. They tried to ask him, but he did not give an answer. So they had no choice but to leave him alone. When night came, Atemu swam up to the Realm Above to the place where he left his princess. He found her on the balcony of her castle, staring at the stars as if she were searching for something there. Not once did she notice the Crown Prince, who watched her from below. Oh how he longed to get close to her, to talk to her, to hold her in his arms and grace her soft lips with a kiss. But he would have to stick with watching her, until that day comes. One night, Atemu was on his way to the castle when Mako happened upon him.

"Ahoy there, Atemu!" he shouted. 

"Oh, hello Mako." Replied Atemu, swimming towards the small ship to meet up with his friend. 

"I didn't tell anyone about you, but I want to thank you for saving Princess Tea. Who knows what would happen to this kingdom if she was gone!" Mako said gratefully.

"Uhh sure!" Atemu replied, blushing, "I'm happy to help." Mako was staring at the Crown Prince in amusement, and the prince's blush grew deeper. 

"Hey, what's up with the red cheeks?" Mako asked. Then his eyes brightened, and he began to chuckle. "Oh ho ho! I get it! You're in love with the princess, aren't you?"

"Gaah! How did you know?" Atemu shouted in embarrassment.

"Don't be afraid to admit it my friend." Mako laughed, "Besides, it's written all over your face!" Atemu calmed down a bit and gave a sad smile.

"You're right, there's no hiding from you. The moment I looked upon Tea, it was love at first sight. And there's something else I want to tell you. Between you and me, I always wanted to give up my throne and live up here in the Realm Above. Because of Tea, my wish had grown even stronger. The more I visit, the more I yearn to live among the humans. And to be honest," Atemu paused and then said, "I want to protect the good in the Realm Above. I've come to love this world more than my own home."

"Did you tell your loved ones about the princess?" asked Mako.

"I plan to." Was the reply. Atemu's smile then disappeared from his face. "But not now. I don't know what they'll think of it. Even as I watch her tonight, my heart hurts, for she doesn't even know I exist. She's so close to me, and yet so far away."

* * *

After a week and three days, Solomon could not bear to see his grandson in sorrow any longer. He swam to the garden where Atemu was embracing the statue. At first, Atemu didn't notice his coming. But then Solomon spoke softly.

"Atemu? What's wrong? I haven't seen you this depressed in all my life." That got the Prince's attention, and he turned toward his worried grandfather.

"Grandpa?" he whispered before letting go of the statue. "Are you really that worried about me?" Solomon had no need to give him an answer. Atemu let out a sigh.

"This is hard for me to tell you this," Atemu said, "But I can't keep it hidden for long. You see Grandpa… I've finally met my special someone." Solomon's eyes brightened up and slowly a smile came across his face. It didn't take long before he started laughing.

"Hahahaha! So you've become lovesick!" Solomon said joyfully, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? There's nothing wrong with that at all! Now who's that lucky lady that captured your heart?"

"That's the problem." Atemu said sadly, "She's… she's a human." Solomon's face suddenly became quite serious when he heard that.

"Well, that changes everything." The elderly merman said. "Befriending a human is one thing. But falling in love with one is a different matter." Solomon came closer to his grandson, saying, "I'm afraid that such a romance would never work."

"Grandpa, how could you say that?" Atemu said, hurt by his grandfather's words. But Solomon wasn't finished.

"Hush my boy, love between a merfolk and a human is not forbidden. But what keeps them apart is nature itself. You already know that we Deep Dwellers are incapable of breathing air for longer than an hour or two outside of water, and that we our bodies dry up when we're far from watery places. Humans are likewise incapable of breathing water, and the pressure of the deep ocean is just as deadly to them. So you see, most romances between humans and merfolk often end in tragedy, because each of our homes is the grave of the other. Just forget about that human girl, Atemu. It's for the best."

"I can't." Atemu said. "And I won't." Solomon sighed.

"Then I'm afraid that there's nothing else I can do to help you. I'm sorry if it wasn't enough." And Solomon swam away, leaving Atemu to dwell on his words.

* * *

Later that afternoon, a crowd of merfolk gathered at a certain spot where the Crown Prince had set up a stage to perform. Atemu, as you know, has the most handsome voice in the entire kingdom, an equal to Kisara's most beautiful voice. But he rarely sings himself, and when he does, it's often the case that it was in a duet with his sister. Even rarer still are the times when he actually sings solo, in all its glory. To the lucky onlookers that day, this is one such moment. The crowd cheered as Atemu entered his makeshift stage, especially the mermaids who were his most adoring fans. In his hands he clutches a lute made of beautiful clear crystal, with strings of gold. 

He had just finished singing four songs and he told his audience, "I give thanks to all those who came to see me today. You among merfolk are very lucky to listen to my gift, because to be honest I sing solo oh so rarely. But the day would soon be near its end and with it, this rare moment of song. So in conclusion of this concert, I am pleased to perform for you all this simple melody. It is very special to me, because this is a song I learned in my travels, so listen well, and savor it like I did." When the crowd became silent, Atemu skillfully plucked the strings and began to sing a slow sad love song that he learned in the Realm Above, his baritone voice echoing in soft harmony. All who heard him were on the verge of pearly tears, overwhelmed with joy for the Prince's singing.

"_**When I've done my work of day,**_

_**And I row my boat away**_

_**Doon the waters of Loch Tay**_

_**As the evening light is fading**_

_**And I look upon Ben Lawers,**_

_**Where the after-glory glows**_

_**And I think on two bright eyes,**_

_**And the melting mouth below.**_

_**She's my beauteous nighean ruadh,**_

_**She's my joy and sorrow too.**_

_**And although she is untrue,**_

_**Well I cannot live without her,**_

_**For my heart's a boat in tow,**_

_**And I'd give the world to know**_

_**Why she means to let me go,**_

_**As I sing horee horo. **_

_**Nighean ruadh, your lovely hair**_

_**Has more glamour, I declare,**_

_**Than all the tresses rare**_

'_**Tween Killin and Aberfeldy.**_

_**Be they lint-white, brown, or gold,**_

_**Be they blacker than the sloe**_

_**They are worth no more to me**_

_**Than the melting flake of snow.**_

_**Her eyes are like the gleam**_

_**Of the sunlight on the stream**_

_**And the song the fairies sing**_

_**Seems like songs she sings at milking**_

_**But my heart is full of woe,**_

_**For last night she bade me go**_

_**And the tears begin to flow,**_

_**As I sing horee horo.**_"

When the song was finished and the last note died down, the crowd burst with wild cheers accompanied by clapping. Atemu took a bow, saying, "Thank you." as he did so. The mermaids, like the rabid fangirls they are, all tried to swim close to him at once as he swam off the stage. Luckily for him, there were large fish that acted as bouncers that held them back. But he still heard their squeals of joy as every one of them shouted to him, "Atemu, I love you!" Although he smiled at them and waved, his heart throbbed with great pain. _These mermaids tell me those words all the time, but my heart has already been taken._ He thought as his mind dwelled on the human princess. _If only my Lady would know of my existence. How I yearn to hear her say those very same words to me, just as I would tell them to her…_

* * *

As evening fell, Atemu was sitting in his room with his siblings. 

"Atemu, we're so proud you!" Kisara said, trying to cheer her brother up. "You were so wonderful when you went singing on stage!"

"Yeah, too bad you don't sing often." Marik said, "I mean, you were nice enough to let Kisara to steal the spotlight and be the big starfish." Atemu gave no response, for he was still in his heartache.

"Oh don't be like that, cheer up!" Kisara said, "You should be happy that you got to sing solo today." 

"Thanks," Atemu said, "but I have a question for you. It's about the fact that I'm in love with a human. Personally what do you think of it?" This took the siblings by surprise.

"You know," Kisara said, "I've never fallen in love with any man before, human or otherwise, so I don't think I understand what you're going through. But I do worry about you. I've heard of so many sad love stories that involve a relationship between merfolk and humans, and I don't want you to suffer the same fate."

"I hate to disappoint you Atemu," Ishizu said, "but this romance of yours will never work out."

"You're wrong." Atemu muttered. "You're all wrong! Tea and I are meant for each other! I know we are!"

"You're the eldest child in the royal family Atemu, and it is therefore your destiny to become the next king of the Deep Dwellers." Ishizu explained, "And when you become king, you won't have any more time to be with that princess, much less visit the Realm Above."

"I never wanted to be king! Nor will I ever want to!" Atemu shouted. There was a gasp from the other three at this revelation.

"Are you serious Bro?" Marik said, and then sighed. "I guess that means I was jealous of you for nothing."

"You can have the throne for all I care!" Atemu replied. "I would rather live with my Lady in the Realm Above."

"Tough luck Bro," Marik said smugly, "it's never gonna happen."

"And why not?" Atemu demanded.

"Well she never saw you before, hasn't she?" Marik said, "That's why you're planning to reveal yourself to her soon. Well if you do that, she'll notice you all right. One look at that 'hideous' body of yours and BAM! she'll reject you, just like that!" Atemu's eyes widened in shock. 

"Marik!" he said in a hushed voice, and shook his head, "It's not true! It's can't be true! Mako saw me as who I am and he didn't see me as ugly."

Ishizu said to her younger brother, "Marik I think that's enou--" 

"Mako may not think so," Marik interrupted, "but I doubt that your Lady would agree. I mean, you're covered in slimy scales from the top of your head to the tip of your tail."

"Marik, stop!" Atemu said, covering his finned ears. 

"And speaking of your tail," Marik continued, "If your precious Tea sees it, she'll be horrified. I mean look at it! It's like a snake's with fins on it!"

"Shut up!" Atemu shouted, pearly tears threatening to flow. But Marik continued his rant, to his dismay.

"Admit it, Bro. You're never going to be with her. Because as far as I know, she'll be grossed out if she ever sees you. Simply put, from her point of view, you are downright uuuuhglee!"

"STOP IT!" Atemu yelled at the top of his gills, and the siblings turned towards him, horrified by their brother's outburst. "I'VE HEARD ENOUGH! GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

"Hey, hey, chill Bro!" Marik shuddered, trying desperately to calm his brother, "I didn't mean to--"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Atemu screamed, and he grabbed a spiky conch shell and hurled it towards his siblings with all of his strength. It missed its mark, but it was dangerously close to Kisara and Marik where it hit the wall behind them. Kisara screamed in horror and rushed to swim out. Ishizu and Marik were rigid with shock over their brother and slowly inched towards the door.

"GET OUT!" Atemu hollered in a mix of anguish and rage. And the two remaining siblings got the message and bolted just as he slammed the stone slab door to his room. Once he was alone, Atemu paused for a moment, breathing heavily. He then slammed a fist on the wall, and wept like never before. He didn't mean to lash out on his siblings like that, but his sweetest dreams were being shattered before his very eyes, just like the conch shell he threw. After spending three minutes of sobbing, he looked out the window. _Everyone is wrong! Tea and I are meant to be together!_ he thought, _But how can I prove it? My head hurts just thinking about it, but not as much as my heart. Maybe I should go take a swim for a while._ And so, he crept unseen out of his room and swam outside to calm himself, far away from the palace.

Note: The song that Atemu sang is an actual Celtic folk song from Scotland, and it's calledthe Loch Tay Boat Song. You should listen sometime, it's really good!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11: The Sea Mage's Offer

Atemu didn't know exactly how long he swam, but it hardly made his situation any better. In fact, whenever he came across a rock with a mirror like finish, he looked at himself and recoiled. It seems as though the more he looked at himself, with his scaly skin, his fins and his fish tail, the more hideous he appeared to himself. Marik's words continued to echo in his head, tormenting him to no end. Could it be true? Could his Lady really find him repulsive if he should show himself? Atemu could not help but cry. He seriously hated himself for being what he is. He finally sank down to a rock to sit, and there he continued to weep. At that moment, a certain eel merman came along and took notice. 

"Oh, can it be? It is! My dear friend, Atemu Boy!"

Atemu looked up and saw Pegasus hovering over him. "Pegasus?" Atemu said in disbelief.

"The one and only!" Pegasus said whimsically, "I can't help but snoop around, but for some reason you look rather… how should I say this…glum." Atemu sighed sadly.

"Even if I tell you what's wrong, I doubt you would understand."

"Try me." Pegasus said with a smirk. Again Atemu sighed.

"There's this girl I've met… she has captured my heart at first sight." He said, placing a hand on his heart, "But she doesn't even know I'm alive; she never saw me, nor did she hear my voice. But I love her more than anything."

"Well, why don't you go show yourself and tell her how you feel?" Pegasus suggested. 

"I can't." Atemu replied, "My family says that this love would never work out. I want to prove them all wrong, but something holds me back. Marik said some terrible things to me… about how she would reject me once she takes a look at me." And then Atemu let loose the pearly tears from his eyes yet again. "W-when I look at myself and think about it…" he sobbed, "M-maybe I _am_ ugly! How can my Lady love someone as hideous as me?" Atemu's words certainly caught Pegasus by surprise. But he placed a webbed hand on the Prince's shoulder.

"Why Atemu Boy, that's not like you to think that way! You are anything _but_ hideous, that's for sure. Every mermaid in the ocean knows that for a fact. What made you think that this mermaid would reject you solely on looks alone?"

"She's not a mermaid, Pegasus." 

"She's not?" Pegasus asked in confusion, "Well what is she?"

"She's a human." Atemu said, "And not just any human, in fact. She is a princess, and Tea is her name." Again, Pegasus gave a look of surprise. But then he slowly chuckled, and it escalated into a mad laughter.

"Now it all makes sense!" Pegasus laughed, "I had to agree in part with your family. This romance would only lead to disaster."

"You too?" Atemu said in dismay. He got up to swim yet again. "I knew you wouldn't understand!"

"Now, now, don't get all wound up." Pegasus said, swimming after him, "You want to prove us all wrong, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Atemu said.

"Then if you want me to, I can help you get started." Pegasus said smugly. Atemu stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Help me? How can you possibly help me?" Atemu said, skeptical.

"I'll show you." Pegasus smirked, "I've always figured that I can't keep it hidden from you for long." He then took a long strand of seaweed and held it at its end. "Watch carefully, Atemu Boy. What you're about to see might surprise you." And watch he did. Tiny sparks of electricity surrounded Pegasus' webbed fingers, and it spread onto the seaweed. Before his very eyes, the seaweed began to move. In the blink of an eye, the seaweed transformed into a large hissing water snake. It swam right towards the startled Crown Prince in an attempt to attack him, and he flailed his arms to swat the snake away. Then just as quickly, the snake suddenly turned back into a strand of seaweed. Atemu's eyes widened as it all became clear as to what his friend was trying to show him. 

"Well? What do think?" Pegasus said, satisfied at his work.

"Y-You…" Atemu stuttered, "You're a mage?"

"That's right!" said Pegasus with pride, "I'm fully fledged sea mage, just like Mahaado, your Dolphin Folk friend."

"Pegasus," Atemu gasped in shock, "You never told me you were a mage! Why did you hide it from me?" Pegasus' expression became forlorn, further surprising the Prince.

"I knew that you would ask such a question." He said, "Allow me to reveal to you my own tale of love and heartbreak." Atemu couldn't believe what he was hearing. His friend had a lover? What had happened between them? Those questions led him to listen eagerly as Pegasus began his story. "When I was a small merchild, I was apprenticed to a master mage who taught the art of magic in a famous college from another city. I was bright pupil, and as I grew up I quickly mastered the art and rose in rank. It was when I was about your age when I met a fellow sea mage who was assigned to be my partner in a vast magical project. Her name was Cecilia, and she was what I would like to call a golden koi mermaid, she was very beautiful indeed. She even had wits that matched my own, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. We spent time together studying new spells and we helped each other improve what we already learned. And slowly, she returned my love. Eventually we started spending time with each other outside of times of study. On the side, I was an artist, and she often volunteered to be a model for many of my works. I will never forget that special day when we confessed our love for each other, and since then, our love blossomed even more. We married at the age of twenty-five, and lived happily for many years. We would still be together to this day, had tragedy not struck." It was the first time Atemu ever saw Pegasus shed pearly tears in front of him, and the mage continued. "There was a colleague of mine whose name I had forgotten. But I would never forget the terrible thing he did. You see, if magic is treated with disrespect by certain mages that use it, magic itself punishes those mages. This is why such mages are either insane, obsessive, or both. Such was the case for that colleague. To make matters worse, he too had his eyes on Cecilia, and he was jealous of me for winning her heart. He was already past the line of insanity and he tried to use his magic to kill me. Imagine my horror when Cecilia put herself in front of me, and took the killing blow. She sank into my arms and died on the spot. My colleague, realizing what he had done, took his own life soon after. My own heart shattered to pieces, and I was left to mourn the loss of my beloved."

"That's terrible!" Atemu said, feeling sorry for the mage.

"I made a promise to myself never to let the disrespect of magic bring about a tragedy similar to mine." Pegasus said, "So when I found that I was becoming insane myself, I had to act." It was then that he lifted away the head fin that covered his left eye, and Atemu now saw an artificial eye made of gold, in the shape of the eye that decorated the Prince's crown. "I blinded myself in one eye to save what was left of my sanity." Pegasus explained, "Then I banished myself from the wizard's college, traveling as far away from it as possible. After a long journey, I finally reached the wilderness near your kingdom. There, I set up a new home and opened a curiosity shop of my own, and I've been selling my magic ever since." Pegasus smiled once again. "Most of the other merfolk I meet simply ignore me unless they want to consult me for their magic. You, on the other hand, befriended me when you were but a small merboy. Your presence has put my loneliness at ease, and your little predicament just now has given me an opportunity to repay your kindness. I can use my magic to help you win the heart of that human girl—for a price, of course."

"Pegasus, I appreciate your offer," Atemu said, "But I don't want a love potion. Nor do I need one."

"I realize that." said Pegasus, "After all, a love won by force in not love at all. That's why I want to offer you a magic that's even better than a love potion." 

"What kind of magic?" Atemu asked, interested.

"I'll show you." Pegasus replied, "Just follow me to my humble abode. I'll tell you all about it once we get there." Atemu was eager to find out what kind of magic his friend was offering, not to mention curious. 

"All right then! Mahaado may also be a mage, but I doubt he would help me in this situation." Atemu said in confidence. "Lead the way, Pegasus!"

"Gladly!" the mage replied, "It's about time I show you where I live." And Pegasus swam off, Atemu following him from behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the palace, the siblings were next door to Atemu's room, recovering from what had happened.

"Marik, I can't believe you did this!" Ishizu scolded, "You've really hurt your brother's feelings this time!" Marik just sighed in annoyance.

"Hey, it's not my fault he's all emotional about a human girl!" he said.

"Would you two stop this fighting?" Kisara shouted, "We don't want to make things more stressful than they already are. Besides, I think he's calm now. He needs all the comfort he can get." She then opened the slab door that led to the hallway where her brother's room is. She slowly approached the shut door, and knocked. 

"Atemu?" she said softly, "Are you ready to talk? I want to apologize on behalf of Marik. Please answer me." There was no response from the other side. Figuring that he was still crying, Kisara gently shoved the slab door aside. Imagine her horror when she saw that the room was empty! "Marik! Ishizu! Atemu's gone!"

"Gone?" Marik said in disbelief. "You're kidding!" Marik and Ishizu entered and were just as shocked to find an empty room ahead of them. 

"Atemu! Where did he go!" Ishizu shouted.

"Hmm. He must have gone out for a swim." Marik said.

"But for how long?" Kisara said, "We have to find him!"

"Kisara, it's late." Ishizu reasoned, "We'll have to wait until morning."

"No! I won't wait!" Kisara said, "If you can't go out to find him, then I will!"

"Kisara!"

"He has done so much to help me! Now it's my turn to help him!" And off Kisara went, before her other two siblings could protest.

* * *

It had been a few minutes spent in swimming, and Atemu was getting impatient.

"Are we there yet?" he complained.

"Hush now Atemu Boy." Pegasus replied, "We're getting very close." The sea mage then stopped in front of the Prince. "Ah, here we are! My humble home!" Atemu looked ahead of him and saw a strange house carved out of a cave. Crystal lanterns hung from the entrance, each one a different color. Although it was beautiful, he couldn't help but feel intimidated. 

"I hope you don't mind the decorations." Pegasus said, "It gives a sort of mystic aura around here. Now come inside and we'll do some business." 

"Uhh, okay." Atemu said, and he swam behind the mage. As he entered, he noticed a whole cluster of polyps planted on the floor below him. 

"Hello my little pets! Daddy's home!" Pegasus said to them. In response, they rippled in a way that almost nauseated the Crown Prince. 

"Ugh, what are those things?" Atemu said in disgust. 

"Oh these? They're the pride of my shop." Pegasus replied. Suddenly, the polyps stretched out toward Atemu, and one coiled around his wrist. With a shout, Atemu pulled hard to free himself while fighting off other polyps. Pegasus took out a stick and whapped the polyp that held its captive. Immediately, it let go, and the other polyps shrank in response.

"Now behave!" the mage said, "This young merman is a customer and a guest." He then turned to the Prince, saying, "Sorry about that. They're trained to catch any thieves who would dare to steal my spells and belongings, which many strangers happen to be. That's why I had to remind them which stranger is a guest and which is not." Atemu gave no reply, and hurried on inside. Pegasus wasn't the proud owner of a curiosity shop for nothing. Everywhere he looked there were many unusual items on display, like strange crystals, charms, amulets, flasks containing colored liquid, and even some preserved organ of certain animals stored in glass bottles. There was even a natural crater that served as some kind of natural cauldron. 

"Let me do the honors of welcoming you to my shop!" Pegasus said cheerfully. "Let's get down to business, shall we?" Before Atemu could reply, Pegasus swam towards a floating spellbook with pages made of tightly woven seaweed paper. In merry humming, the sea mage flipped the pages in search of a certain spell. "Now where could it be?" he muttered. Then he flipped one last page before pointing at the book in triumph. "Aha! Here it is! It's been a while since I last put this to use."

"What is it?" Atemu asked. Pegasus looked up with a sly grin.

"This, Atemu Boy, is the one thing that can make all your sweetest dreams come true. Believe it or not, I actually know of a secret wish of yours! Even before you met your lovely Tea Girl, you wanted to give up the throne in order to dwell in the Realm Above, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is." Atemu said, surprised at what his friend knew. He never even told him that wish.

"I can see it in your eyes. You wish to live among humans, interact with them, and make their world a better place to live in, free from fear and wickedness. Tea Girl is but another reason you want to live up there, because you love her from the bottom of your heart." Pegasus inched closer, as if enjoying the dramatic flair of his own words. "That's why I assure you that you'll absolutely love this spell! If you want to live among humans, what better way to do that than to become one!" Atemu's eyes widened in amazement, and Pegasus went on to ask, "So what do you think, Atemu Boy? How would you like to become a human?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: The Deal with an Alternative Price

"A human?" Atemu asked, gesturing to himself, "Me?" A smile was soon shining bright on his lips. Finally, something that can grant his fondest wish! "Pegasus, it's perfect! Why didn't I think of this before?" But then a small frown came as a certain thought came into mind. "But…but if I become a human, it might be possible that I might never see my friends and family again…"

"True," Pegasus reasoned, "but look at it this way. In the Realm Above, you'll make new friends. And don't forget the additional bonus of having your lovely Lady by your side." Atemu blushed at the very thought of Tea smiling at him. Of course he could not forget her! A confident smile returned.

"All right! Pegasus, I want you to change me into a human!" Atemu said.

"I'm happy that you're interested in this venture Atemu Boy," Pegasus said, "But I also want you to become aware of what you are getting yourself into. There are risks involved you know."

"I will accept any challenge you throw at me," Atemu said solemnly, "if it means I can be with my Lady."

"Oh very well then." Pegasus said, swimming to the cauldron. A transparent disk appeared, floating above the cauldron and shining with a soft blue light. 

"Now listen carefully," explained the mage, "This is not for the faint of heart. I will make you a potion, but the magic it carries would only last until the coming sunrise, so I highly recommend that you drink it before then." A figure appeared on the disk, and as he looked closely, Atemu could see that it was an image of himself. Pegasus continued, "As I have said before, it has been a while since I had last made this potion, so there's going to be some rather unpleasant side effects." The figure began to convulse, as if assaulted by some invisible assassin. "Once you drink it up, you will undergo a very painful transformation." Atemu watched as his self image's scales popped out and the fins pull away. "Your whole body would be affected, but the greatest agony would lie where your tail is now. It would feel as though a large sword had been thrust into you, slicing your tail in two." As the mage spoke, an image of a large sword appeared in front of the Prince's image and quickly thrust into the middle below his hips. It then moved downward, cutting his tail neatly in half. Atemu was horrified at the sight, but he did not show it. 

"I would highly advise you not watch yourself when the transformation is occurring." Pegasus said, "Because it is as gruesome to witness as it is painful. But when it is all over, you will find yourself a literally changed man." The figure stopped convulsing and Atemu was amazed at its new appearance, that of a handsome nude human figure. "You will certainly notice the obvious differences from your old self," Pegasus said, "but the most profound of them will be the most obvious, for in the place of your tail will be a pair of strong, handsome human legs, matching your perfect build." 

"Amazing!" Atemu gasped, "I have to admit, I really like those legs."

"That's not all," Pegasus said, "Your body will retain all of your gifted abilities, your strength and energy, your grace and dexterity." The figure began to move carefree in a freeform dance, even imitating the movements of sword performance on occasion. "You will be light on your feet, adding to your naturally fluid movements. Whether it be in dancing or in a heated battle, all who look upon you will be in awe." As he listened and watched, Atemu began to daydream doing exactly that, with Princess Tea by his side. But suddenly, the figure stopped with its arms outstretched as though in static flight. 

"But mind you," Pegasus said, "there is another unpleasant side effect that lingers from the initial transformation." Atemu gasped in shock as suddenly, a haphazard path of sharp crystal knives appeared underneath the floating figure. Pegasus explained, "As you walk, every step you take will be assaulted with extreme agony, as if you tread barefoot over an endless path of crystal razors." As the mage spoke, the figure floated downward, and Atemu grew pale as bare feet made contact with the crystal knives. The image opened its mouth as though it cried out in pain, and as its legs moved on mindlessly, Atemu could see the razors stab the soles of the figure's feet with each step. Deep red blood covered the soles, and footprints of the vital fluid were left in a trail. And whole time, the figure gritted its teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Inwardly he cringed. But his determination was as strong as ever. 

"Are you sure you want to go through something like this?" Pegasus asked. The Crown Prince's hands curled up into fists.

"If it means I can be with my Lady," he answered, "then I am willing to go through with the pain. I am a warrior at heart. And I have suffered pain that is much worse." Pegasus nodded.

"You've got courage. I can't help but admire you for that." He said, smirking. The figure left the crystal path at that precise moment and began to float again. "But I still want you to think carefully, even though I'm delighted that you're considering it. Once you become a human, you will never return to the form of a merman again."

"I would rather live the rest of my life as a human." Atemu replied.

"Good for you." Pegasus said, "But that doesn't mean the magic would last." Another figure appeared by the duplicate of Atemu, that of Princess Tea clad only in a long transparent skirt. Both figures floated towards each other with open arms. "In order to remain human permanently, you must win the heart of a certain human. In your case, it is the lovely human princess that has captured your own heart." The hands of the two figures touch at this point. Then suddenly the image of Tea withdrew from the image of Atemu, as Pegasus said, "But… suppose she gives her heart wholly to another man." A third figure appeared, a human man whose face was hidden in shadow. To Atemu's dismay, the image of Tea floated towards the man and embraced him, going as far as to kiss him. Atemu then looked upon the image of himself. It stared at the couple with human tears in its eyes, for it feels heartbreak. Atemu soon became horrified at what the sea mage said next.

"If that should ever happen, that will act as a herald… for your funeral!" The image of the couple faded, and the figure of Atemu was alone again, and soon the image of the sea appeared below it.

"The sea will call to you, beckoning you to come down. You can resist it as long as you want, but it will be useless, for the call of the sea will grow stronger, until finally you can resist no more." The figure, with tears still in its eyes, began to fall, and it plunged into the ocean. Then the scene changed so that the figure is seen underwater. "Once you throw yourself into the ocean, you will start to sink immediately, and the water will slowly fill your human lungs." Pegasus explained, "That is when you will transform one final time… the most painful transformation yet!" Atemu could only watch as the figure's body began to bubble up in several parts at once. The mass of bubbles soon detached from the body and floated upward, and the figure howled in pain, bubbles coming out of its mouth. Atemu quickly realized that the figure was disintegrating. 

Pegasus continued, "In fact, this transformation actually quickens your demise, for even as you drown, your body will dissolve into foam upon the sea. You would linger in that body before you are forced out of it at the last minute as one of the immortal spirits of the dead." The dissolving figure howled one final cry before it disappeared altogether in a mass of white foam. The disk then returned to its original flat shape, and no more images appeared. "What a sad way to depart to the afterlife." The mage sighed. Then he looked at the Crown Prince straight in the eye and asked him, "Do you still want be human after hearing of all this?" Atemu's expression became somber. A single pearly tear ran down his cheek.

"If I had to choose between having to die and having to live without my Lady," he answered, "then I choose death."

"Hmm, I guess I'll take that as a 'yes'." Pegasus muttered. Then the insane cheerfulness showed itself as the disk faded. "Okay then! I'll go make the potion and you can pay me when its done!" and on the mage went as he retrieved the ingredients for the potion. Atemu gave a small smile to himself. He was very lucky that he brought his wallet with him; he'll pay whatever amount of pearls it costs in order to be with his beloved. The benefits, after all, far outweigh the risks in his opinion. As Pegasus put the first ingredient, polyp mush, into the cauldron, Atemu began to recite a little impromptu soliloquy, his heart filling with joy.

"Tea, my Lady, soon I will leave this watery realm and come to you. An oyster lies in front of me in my dreams, and you are the pearl within. Oh how I seek to retrieve you from that oyster. As I look into the sky blue orbs that are your eyes, I feel as though I were flying high like a seagull over the ocean. When I first met you, you did not know of my existence. All this time you never saw me, but soon all of that will change. As soon as I come to you, I will not hesitate to talk to you. I will tell you everything then, of how I saved you on that day in the storm, and I will tell you how my heart ached when I was away from you. Most of all, I will confess my love to you. My only hope is that you feel the same for me. For even as I speak, I plan to give you the gift of song, in tribute to this love." At this moment, Pegasus pricked his own wrist and added the final ingredient to the concoction, a small cloud of his own blood. The cauldron burst with a shining cloud of its own before it took its final appearance: that of a clear liquid that shines with a soft light of its own. The mage gathered up the liquid in a small flask then topped it with a cork. 

"Here it is Atemu Boy!" Pegasus said excitedly, "All ready to drink! Oh by the way, I've been listening to your little soliloquy and I am impressed!" The mage clapped in applause, and then said, "It is worthy of being part of a romantic play. Bravo to you! For that I will give you a special offer! Normally this potion will cost you an even thousand pearls."

"A thousand pearls, huh?" Atemu said.

"I said 'normally'. But as I am so inspired by your composition, I'm happy to tell you that you don't have to pay a single pearl!"

"Really?" Atemu said joyfully, "That's fantastic! I'll take it right now!" And he reached out for the potion, only to have it elude him as Pegasus moved it out of his reach and put his free hand in front to stop him.

"Don't get any ideas Atemu Boy," the mage said, "it's still not free. What I am offering you is an alternative price for this magic."

"And what is this alternative price of yours?" Atemu said, curious.

"What else?" Pegasus replied, "Your voice, of course!"

"What?" Atemu gasped incredulously. Shock and dismay was etched all over the Prince's face at the revelation of this price. He placed a hand on his throat and shook his head. "No, NO!" he said, "You can't be serious!" 

Pegasus only laughed in a playful manner, saying, "I am quite serious! Don't deny it. You are blessed to have the most handsome voice in the kingdom, a perfect partner to the kingdom's most beautiful voice, which belongs to your lovely sister. Though you rarely sing, it is sweet music just to listen to you talk. Every mermaid who listens to your poems and soliloquies swoon at your tail. And when you do sing, those same mermaids just go wild for you! Either way, they declare their love for you instantly the moment they hear your voice. That, in turn, would make winning the heart of your human princess way too easy in my opinion. So let's heighten the stakes and see if you can win her heart without it."

"But talking to her is the one thing I look forward to!" Atemu protested, "How can I possibly do that if I don't have a voice? How can I possibly…confess my love for her?" He was on the verge of pearly tears, but Pegasus only chuckled in amusement.

"I'm sorry, Atemu Boy," he said, "but I'm afraid you'll have to find another way to communicate with her." Atemu only stared with dismay, but Pegasus was not finished.

"Oh now don't get all depressed on me. Besides, this is only temporary. I doubt that you would do it, but if you actually succeed in winning Tea Girl's heart and therefore become a permanent human, not only will I remove the pain in your feet, I will give back your voice as the greatest reward for your efforts."

"Are you sure?" Atemu asked, skeptical. "How will I know if you're telling the truth?"

"I am a merman of my word." Pegasus reassured, "I always have and I always will. In fact, if you don't get your voice back when you win the girl, I'll let you cut off my tongue and we'll be even." Atemu thought about what he had said. There was never a time when his friend would lie to him, and he certainly wouldn't start. The sea mage is still a hopeless romantic at heart. Said mage soon held up the potion for the Crown Prince to see.

"If you want to cancel the offer, this is your last chance to do so. You can keep your voice, and return to your home, but you will never see your princess again. Such misery you will suffer, and if you decide to take this magic on a later date, it would be guaranteed that your Lady would have already given her heart to someone else. Or you can take the offer and sacrifice your voice in order to risk it all in the name of love. So what is it going to be? Deal, or no deal?"

Atemu bowed his head, sinking in what he heard. He truly loves Tea, that's for certain. The very thought of not being able to see her again definitely breaks his heart. For all he knows, this potion was his only chance to have his fondest wish fulfilled. If he had to give up his voice to take that chance, then so be it.

"Well?" Pegasus said impatiently. Atemu lifted his head and there were pearly tears in his eyes.

"I'll take the deal… Pegasus." He whispered. He said those words as if they were his last, because in a sense, they are.

"Splendid!" Pegasus rejoiced, and he turned toward the bottle containing the potion. "Did you hear that?" he said to it, "It looks like you won't rot on the counter after all!" Then the mage snapped his webbed fingers with his free hand and sparks of electricity surrounded that hand. Pegasus spoke only three words, smirking as he did so: "In that case…" And before Atemu could react, Pegasus lunged at him and grabbed his throat, almost in a choking manner. He could barely breathe, and the sparks around the mage's hand surrounded his neck before they pulsed into a powerful shockwave. Atemu jolted as Pegasus let go of his neck, and as he breathed he found that his panting gave no more sound.

"There!" Pegasus said in satisfaction, "Now you are officially silent. Better get used to it, because it's going to take a while before you can get it back." The sea mage then handed the potion to the now voiceless Prince. "The potion is yours. Remember, drink it all up before the coming sunrise, otherwise the ingredients would go to waste." Atemu only gave a single nod before he took the potion in his hands. As he swam towards the entrance of the shop to leave, he heard his sea mage friend say to him, "Personally, I highly doubt you would win your Lady's heart, but best of luck to you anyway. You're going to need it." And Atemu left behind the shop in preparation of leaving behind his old life. 

Note about the Deal or No Deal thing: I couldn't resist! XD I don't own Howie's quote!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13: Agonizing Transformation

As Atemu swam away from the shop, he would look at the mirror rocks. It was a few minutes as he stared at each reflection but it seemed like a long time to him. _This will be the last time I will ever see myself like this._ he thought, _When I reach the Realm Above, I will take on a new body, and I won't change back._ He finally reached the point where he came into view his palace. From a distance, it is certainly worthy of a painting. Pearly tears streamed down his eyes. _Once I become human, I will never see this place again. And I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to my family before I bargained my voice away. It's too late now though._ Atemu took hold of the crown upon his head and took it off. He stared at it for a small moment. _This crown is Kisara's most precious gift to me. _he thought,_ Up until now, I have never removed it. But it has no meaning for me now._ Atemu closed his eyes taking in all the images of his beloved memories. _Goodbye everyone,_ he thought, _I will miss you all, especially you Kisara. I hope you find happiness in my absence. And Father, I'm am very sorry that I disappointed you. But as you will soon discover, I am the Crown Prince no more._ And with that, he dropped the crown and disarmed himself of his spear. The two items sank down to the ocean floor as he began to quicken his swim upward.

* * *

"Atemu! Atemu! Where are you?" Kisara shouted as she swam about. It has been a while since she went out to search for her lost brother. So far she had no luck and she was starting to get worried. "Where did he go? Why isn't he answering?" Kisara was beginning to cry. "Atemu…" she whispered. Suddenly, she heard a clinking sound on the rock above her. She looked up just in time to see a familiar object fall from above and into her hands. She gasped in shock. It was Atemu's crown! But how did it get here? She looked up just in time to see the platinum spear on land on the rock above her. And far beyond, she saw a small speck in a familiar shape. Her eyes widened. "Atemu? There he is!" Her eyes were certainly not playing tricks on her. She had found him! But where is he going? It soon dawned on her that she'll have to catch up with him while she still had the chance. "Atemu! Wait!" she called out as she swam up to follow him.

* * *

Atemu swam in a race against time, for he did not know when sunrise might arrive. Soon however, he reached the view of the watery wall that was the gateway horizontal gateway to the Realm Above. He saw Mahaado and Mana swimming with their school of Dolphin Folk families, and Atemu did his very best to avoid being noticed. Like real dolphins, the Dolphin Folk allow half of their brains to sleep while the other half remains wide awake in order to avoid drowning. Their eyes are open so they would make sure that their fellows get their air when the two sides of their brains get in the process of switching rest. Atemu saw that his friends were busy keeping an eye on each other and their friends and families. _Good, it's all clear._ He thought and he looked up to see the sky beyond the water. It was a dark navy broken only by a soft silvery moon. _The sun has yet to rise. That's a relief._ He looked at the potion in his hand. _Might as well get it over with while I still have time._ He uncorked the flask and the liquid soon made its attempt to escape it. Atemu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _This is it… here goes nothing._ And he placed his lips onto the opening of the flask and began to swallow the potion. He grimaced at the bitter, awful taste, and as it slid down his throat, he felt as though it were burning, but he continued to drink. 

Far below him Kisara continued to swim up. She knew immediately that she was getting closer to him, and she shouted out to him, "Atemu! Can you hear me? I've been looking for you! You have no idea how worried I was for you! Please come home, you'll make everyone else worried also!"

However, Atemu did not hear her call and continued to drink. But Mana did hear her. Both halves of her brain woke up in an instant, though groggy from the trance. "Huh? Kisara?" Mana said, yawning, "what are you doing up in the--" but she stopped in mid sentence with wide eyes as she took notice of Atemu, who had now finished drinking the very last drop of the potion. As the now empty flask left his lips, his eyes shot open as he made a sudden silent gasp. He released the flask and let it drop as he clutched his throat as though he were choking. 

"Atemu?" Mana said, "What's up? Why are you choking?"

"Mana!" Kisara called out as she approached. She then saw her brother in distress, and her worry began to escalate. Atemu himself began to hyperventilate, his soundless breathing growing quicker. It was not long before the pain began to expand. Such torture! He could feel the agony spread through his whole body, and he began to thrash about. 

"Mana!" Kisara yelled as she reached to where the apprentice mage was. "What's happening to Atemu? I haven't seen him in so much pain!"

"That doesn't look good!" Mana replied. She swam quickly to where Mahaado was half sleeping. "Master Mahaado! Master Mahaado wake up!" Mahaado bolted fully awake at the sound of his pupil's voice. 

"W-w-what?" he said, "Mana? What's wrong?"

"It's Atemu!" Mana shouted, "Something's wrong with Atemu!" Then the Dolphin magician looked up and saw his friend thrashing about. Imagine their horror when they saw that the Prince's coiling tail suddenly grow rigid and began to bend from below the thighs and slightly above the very tip with an agonizing crack in different directions. Atemu gritted his teeth as pain seared through him.

"Atemu!" Mahaado shouted and attempted to swim towards the Prince. However, he was stopped when a scale from Atemu's body shot out like a porcupine's with a loud pop. It flew for a yard with a small cloud of blood trailing behind it, before it stopped and began to float downward. Then another scale popped out of Atemu's body in the same manner. "What the heck?" Mahaado shouted. His eyes suddenly widened as in realization. 

"Master? What is it?" Mana asked, worried about what's going on.

"I sense magic at work! And it's not of my doing!" shouted Mahaado. Even as he spoke, another scale shot out, then another and another, and each one of them soon shot out of his whole body, even his face, in a rapid pace like popcorn. Atemu released his neck and his webbed hands were shaking. As he watched, the webbing between his fingers ripped and detached themselves in a bloody mess. Then the fins on his forearms ripped away as he swung his arms to the position in which they were outstretched behind him.

"Do something Mahaado!' Kisara shouted, terrified at what she was seeing. "Make it stop!"

"I can't!" Mahaado shouted, "This magic is too strong!" Atemu could feel two bumps beginning to potrude on the front of the tail where it first became crooked. A second pair of smaller bumps bulged out where the backward bend had appeared a little above the tip of the tail. The scales continued to shoot out in a rapid pace, and new skin began to show itself.

"Master, look!" Mana shouted, "He's changing into something different! But what?" The fins that were on the tail right below his navel tore away, and when Atemu looked down, it happened. A cloud of blood burst literally through the top of his thrashing tail, from the front to the back. Then more blood began to spew as it traveled downward. It was as if a sword were cutting his tail neatly in two. Atemu let out a silent scream as the tail stretched apart and ripped in two among a swirling mass of red clouds. As he looked upon himself, his vision became blurry. At the same moment, the fins on the tips of his now divided tail snapped off and the tips split into five smaller stumps on each side. His pointed fin ears began to curl until they were small and round. Before long the sound around him became muffled with the rush of water. To the horror of the three onlookers, he suddenly began to gasp, as he could feel his gills shrink. The fins on his back burst away at that moment, and he winced in added agony. Only his head fins stayed put, but they too, transformed. The fins split into thousands of long soft tiny strands in a massive collective. As the last of the scales began to detach themselves from brand new skin, unharmed by the transformation, the gills disappeared altogether. He choked, as he now knew that he could not breathe underwater anymore. Combined with all the pain coursing through his body, he seriously thought he was going to die before he even got a chance to see his beloved. The whole water around him had turned red, and the three could not believe what they had witnessed.

"Oh my!" Kisara gasped, "Did… did he just…"

"Become… a human?" Mana finished. 

"Now's not the time to gawk, girls! He's drowning!" Mahaado shouted, and once again he attempted to swim towards his now human friend. But an undersea current conjured itself up, and in a flash, the Prince was carried up towards the surface. 

"Atemu!" Kisara shouted with pearly tears in her eyes just before he disappeared above the waves.

* * *

The current was strong indeed, for Atemu broke the surface and burst above the water, rising up to the waist for a moment for a breath of fresh air before sinking to his neck and shoulders. The waves carried him onward until at last he washed up onto a sandy beach. His mind groggy, and his body freezing and overwhelmed with extreme pain, he managed to crawl up the beach with the waves close behind him before he closed his eyes completely and fell unconscious. It was right at the time when the sun had begun to rise to announce a new day. 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14: The Discovery of the Princess 

Kisara had just swam back to the palace and quickly swam into her room. She shook in a mix of horror and sorrow as she held the crown in her hands. She had found her brother, only to lose him. She clearly remembered the terrifying images of that transformation Atemu went through, and of Mahaado telling her that he was going to find the mage that was responsible for it soon after Atemu was carried away by the currents. It was a memory that will certainly haunt her, that's for sure. It was then Marik and Ishizu came in.

"Kisara! You've come back safely!" Ishizu cried, "Did you find Atemu?" Kisara gave no answer. She was too afraid.

"What's up Sis?" Marik asked, "Did something happen to you."

"I-I…I found my brother… b-but I lost him…" Kisara stuttered, "I can't talk about this now. I'm so scared…"

* * *

It was early morning in her kingdom when Tea decided to take a walk on the beach. She dressed herself in a simple but elegant white sleeveless satin dress that reaches her ankles, and prepared to go down the steps, parasol in hand.

"Hey Tea, wait up!" A male voice called out to her.

"Yeah Tea, don't leave without us!" cried another. Two young men ran up to her with a small orange dragon. One of the men had a mess of dirty blonde hair, and hazel brown eyes filled with good intentioned mischief. He wore a simple blue sleeveless vest, and a pair of long comfortable pants of a navy blue cloth. The second man had his brown hair set in an unusual style; above the forehead, his hair pointed upward, like that of a unicorn's horn. His eyes shine with a lighter hazel, and he wore a white cotton shirt with long sleeves, the buttons loose at the wrists. Forest green pants covered his legs, and unlike his companions, he wore a pair of soft leather boots that hugged below his knees. Tea smiled.

"Joey! Tristan!" she giggled, "I'm glad you decided to come with me! It's such a beautiful day!"

"Hey that's what friends are for!" panted Joey, the blonde man, when he reached her. "We make the day even brighter, right Tristan?" Tristan, the man with the unicorn hair, let out a tired breath from all the rushing, but he smiled.

"Yep, it's a perfect day for friends to hang out at the beach!" he said. "Even Scorch is excited!" The baby dragon let out a happy roar bouncing up and down.

"Where's Serenity?" Tea asked, "She's going too, isn't she?"

"Oh, my little sister will be coming any minute now." Joey replied, "She and Mai just got changed, so wait a minute."

Sure enough, Serenity and Mai arrived in their Greek-styled dresses accompanied by a small stubby yellow lizard with fat lips and antennas. "Hello you guys!" Serenity called out, "Sorry we're late." The noisy lizard monster did a hop forward and then waddled toward Tristan.

"Thunder Kid!" Tristan said, surprised by his monster friend's appearance. "What are you doing with the ladies?"

"Oh he didn't want to be bored an lonely this morning, so we decided to bring him along." Mai explained.

"Well, I'm glad you brought him along," Tristan replied, "Scorch might need someone to play with."

"Well, we're all set!" Tea said cheerfully, "Ready to head to the beach?"

"Ready as we'll ever be!" Joey said, grinning.

"Okay then, let's go!" Tea said.

* * *

Once at the beach, the group of friends got started on a leisurely stroll.

"I can hardly wait for tomorrow!" Serenity said excitedly, "The Spring Festival is one of my favorite festivals ever!"

"Yeah, I'm excited too!" Tea replied, "It's going to be even better than last year. Everyone's been preparing for it the whole month!"

"It wouldn't be the same without you, Tea." Joey said, "We wouldn't know what to do if we lost you to that storm."

"Tell me about it!" Tristan said, "It's a miracle that you even survived in the first place!"

"You know, I was just thinking about that." The princess replied, "To be honest I didn't know how I survived the storm. But I can't spend time wondering about that. I'll figure it out in due time."

"Good idea." Joey said, and then stretched his arms and put his hands behind his head. "I'm getting hungry. Wanna find a place to have breakfast?"

"Joey, you're always hungry!" Tristan said in exasperation. "Isn't there a time when you don't think about food?"

"Hey don't argue with my stomach!" Joey threatened.

"Calm down boys, I've got some snacks prepared for everyone!" Mai said. As the conversation went on, Tea looked ahead of her and stopped dead in her tracks. From a small distance she saw a figure lying face down on the beach. She could tell that the figure was a young man, and he was naked, but what shocked her was the fact that he did not look like he was breathing. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" Tea gasped. The others look toward the princess in surprise.

"Huh? What's wrong Tea?" Joey asked, confused as to what was going on. At that moment, Tea dropped her parasol and ran towards the unconscious young man ahead of her. "Tea!" Joey called out, but that was when the others noticed the man as well. "Hey guys, did you see that?" Joey shouted in alarm.

"Yeah," Tristan said, "And it looks like he needs help!" And they too started running.

"Wait up!" Mai shouted, "Oh, I hope we're not too late!" Tea was the first to reach the young man before her, and she got a closer look at him. The man had a gracefully thin build, almost like that of an elf, but with none of the frailty, as his well-muscled arms and legs revealed. His spiky hair was black lined with crimson at the top, with golden colored bangs the shape of lightning. Some of the golden lightning strands streaked his hair. Tea was especially captivated by the handsome figure and face of this man, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Yet she still worried, for he did not look like he was breathing. When she reached out to touch him, she recoiled in shock. He was also freezing! The others arrived and couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

"Is he…" Serenity whispered, "Is he dead?"

"I don't know." Tea said, and reaching out to touch him again, she turned him to the side and put her first two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse. Relief washed over her, but the worry still lingered.

"He's alive!" she confirmed, "But he's barely alive. We've got to do something!"

"I think I got a cloak to wrap him up and warm him with," Mai suggested. "It's still back at the castle though."

"Well then go on and bring it over here Mai!" Tea shouted as she began to rub the man's back. "And please hurry! He needs our help!" Mai rushed off to retrieve her cloak, and when she left, the young man started shaking. Suddenly, he coughed up the water that had tormented his lungs, and he began to gasp for air. The others rushed to see what was happening, and Tea placed the man's head onto her lap to give him comfort as he continued to cough soundlessly. "It's all right." she said to him, "You're going to make it."

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing Atemu felt when his consciousness began to return. What happened? That's what he wanted to ask himself, but he found himself coughing up seawater. As sensation returned further he noticed something else. _I'm freezing._ He thought, _Why? Why do I feel so cold?_ He began to shiver, but then he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him. Oh how he loved that warmth, but who was giving it to him? Soon he heard voices around him, and as they became more clear, he recognized that one melodious voice among them. One that he has dreamed of hearing.

"It's all right. You're going to make it."

_Tea?_ Atemu thought, and he began to wonder if he's hearing things. Slowly, he opened his crimson eyes and looked upward. When his vision cleared up, he could not believe his eyes. There was his Lady, looking down at him! She let out a surprised gasp and her cheeks turned pink. He blushed in return, and his heart filled with joy. _Tea! My princess!_ he thought, _Finally, we meet face to face!_ Tea snapped out of her daze and graced him with a smile. He tried to smile back, but then he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He winced and clutched his stomach. Tea gasped.

"Oh! Are you okay?" she asked in concern. Atemu opened his eyes yet again and looked down at himself. His eyes widened in amazement. In the place of his colorful scales, smooth cream-colored skin flawlessly covered his whole body. As for his tail… it was gone! And in its place were a pair of the most handsome human legs he had ever seen! Images of the transformation ran through his head. _Can this be…?_ He thought, before the pain struck him again. He felt the warm embrace of his beloved and he began to cling to her.

"Easy! Try not to move. Just relax." The princess instructed. Atemu snuggled into her lap as she rubbed his back. "You can go back to sleep if you want, I'll make sure you get healed." He allowed himself to fall asleep, but he pleaded in his head, _Someone, please, tell me it's not a dream! Because if it is…then I don't want to wake up…_

* * *

As the young man fell asleep in Tea's arms, Joey sighed.

"I sure hope we can save him in time." He said.

"That's why we're taking him to the castle." Tea replied, "We can give him the proper treatment there." At that moment, Mai came towards the group. In her arms she held a black cloak all bundled up to keep it off the ground.

"I'm back," she panted, "Here's the cloak." Tea wasted no time taking the cloak and wrapping it around the man's nude body.

"All right guys," Tea said, "I'm going to need all the help I can get. Joey, you're strong. Do you mind carrying him?"

"Not at all," replied Joey, "Glad I could help." He carefully lifts the man up from Tea's lap and held him close. "C'mon you guys, Let's go back to the castle!"

"You don't have to yell Joey!" Tristan said as the group headed back to their home to get help.

Note: Yep, Scorch is Baby Dragon and Thunder Kid is the monster known as Kaminarikozou! And he was called Thunder Kid in the Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monster TV series!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15: Awakening in a New World 

Once in the castle, Tea knocked on the door to the High Priest's quarters. The door opened to reveal a man with a dark tan, his head shaved bald, and wearing a pair of earrings each in the shape of a simple silver ring. He wore white robes, and light brown eyes looked upon the princess with surprise.

"Oh, Your Highness!" he said to her, "Back so soon? Your strolls at the beach usually take a few hours."

"I know Shadi, but this is an emergency!" Tea said. Shadi could not help but gasp in a mix of surprise and concern as he saw Joey carrying a strange young man in his arms. The stranger continued to shiver from the cold even though he was wrapped securely in Mai's cloak. Tea explained, "This young man needs help!"

* * *

The young man was taken immediately to a warm bed and there, Shadi examined him.

"He is suffering." He said, "You were lucky to find him when you did. Any longer in this state and who knows what would happen to him." Shadi then gave a reassuring smile. "From the looks of it, it's nothing that Happy Lover wouldn't fix."

"Thank you Shadi." Tea said in relief, "You don't know how much this means to me." Just then a cute little noise emitted from outside the room, and when Tea turned, in came a blue haired angel with the pointed ears of an elf. She was dressed in a tunic with a yellow ribbon that acted as a belt and elegant sandals on her feet. A headband was wrapped around her forehead, and in her hand was a shining spear. With the angel was a cute little round yellow ball. It has a sweet face, with round blue eyes and an adorable smile. A pair of white feathered wings protruded from its back, and another pair of pink wings was found at the bottom of the ball-shaped body. The most notable trait was a large pink heart marking right on its forehead.

"Mistress?" the angel said, "I've retrieved Happy Lover, just as you've requested." The round creature, Happy Lover, let out an adorable squeal, eager to help his friend.

"Thanks Lia." Tea said, "You may be called the Dark Witch by some, but all of them know that you're nothing like your title." The Dark Witch, Lia, simply smiled as Happy Lover approached the sleeping young man. A heart-shaped beam shot from the marking and the man began to breathe more slowly, the expression on his face becoming calm and peaceful. When the healing was complete, Happy Lover flew towards the princess, proud of its success.

"Good job Happy Lover." She said. She than turned towards Shadi. "So what do we do now?"

"We wait." He replied, "All he needs to do now is rest."

"Then let me stay with him until he wakes up." Tea requested.

Shadi bowed to her. "As you wish."

* * *

Atemu began to stir from his slumber. He suddenly felt… warm for some reason. And the pain was gone too. Soon he realized that he was laying on something soft. _Am I on a bed?_ He thought, _Could all this be just a dream then?_ This saddened him a bit. For all he knew, he could be back in his room within his undersea palace, a merman. That dream, if it was a dream, was all so real to him. _It was good while it lasted._ he thought. Then slowly, Atemu began to open his eyes. It was blurry at first, but then his vision cleared up and he found himself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. It had some strange but beautiful gold patterns that pleased his eye. _That's strange… This doesn't look like my room…_ His eyes suddenly widened in realization. _Wait a minute! This isn't my room at all! Where am I?_ Just then he heard a cute little snoozing noise, and slowly he turned toward the source. He was in a bed all right, a soft warm **human's** bed. Atemu's eyes widened in joy at what he saw beyond it. There, sleeping on a chair right by him was his beloved, and on her lap was the source of the snoozing noise: a cute little yellow ball with four wings and a heart on its forehead. _Tea!_ He thought happily as he watched his Lady sleep. He then shifted his hand out from under the warm blanket to look at it, and sure enough, he saw human colored skin with no webbing in between his fingers. He smiled. _So it's not a dream after all!_ He looked up and saw that the little ball stretched its little wings and let out a cute little yawn. Then the princess herself began to stir. She rose to her sitting position and stretched her own arms, then opened her sky blue eyes and looked right at him.

"Oh! You're awake!" she said happily, "I'm glad, I've been watching you all day today and I was starting to get worried!" Atemu gave a smile in return as he slowly rose into a sitting position. She had been by his side the whole time! Just then, Joey and Tristan came into the room. Joey had since changed clothes, for he now wears a yellow green shirt with long sleeves, with a blue vest and brown shoulder armor. His pants were also yellow green and brown leather boots completed the look. Tristan on the other hand now had brown pants, and a green shirt with a single shoulder armor on his left-hand side. Strapped on the side was a sheath of a sword, a weapon that sparked Atemu's curiosity.

"Hi Tea." Joey said to the princess. When his eyes laid on Atemu, there was a look of surprise, which quickly turned into a smile. "Well, what do you know! Our castaway finally woke up!"

"It's about time." Tristan said, "To be honest we were really worried about him. I'm glad he's okay." Scorch and Thunder Kid made their entrance at this time, and they were curious about this stranger in bed. Atemu stared at the two monsters in equal curiosity as they bounced up and down in front of him. Tea laughed happily.

"It's okay, these two are friendly." she said to him, and the little ball that is Happy Lover flew towards him and squeaked cutely in bubbly happiness. Tea suddenly started blushing as something came over her. "Oh! How silly of me! Here I am babbling about your awakening and I didn't properly introduce myself yet!" Smiling warmly, she curtseyed to him and said, "I am Tea Gardener, Princess of Aria. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my home." Atemu couldn't help but smile. He already knew her name, of course, but he is delighted at how polite she is. She pointed to the winged yellow ball and said, "That's Happy Lover. He's the one who healed you with his magic."

Not wanting to be left out, Joey stepped forward. "Hi there!" he said cheerfully, "They call me Joseph Freewheeler, but you can call me Joey. That baby dragon over there is Scorch, he's very playful as you can see." Scorch nuzzled the former merman, and Joey continued, "That stubby mutant lizard over there is called Thunder Kid, and you'll understand why when you see him in action!" Thunder Kid grunted and blew a raspberry at the blonde in response.

"Thunder Kid is my companion in case you didn't know." Tristan said, "By the way, my name is Tristan. Joey and I have been friends with the princess since we were kids."

"Yep, it's true." Tea giggled, "These two may be a couple of goofballs, but they're among the best of friends!"

"Hey!!" Joey and Tristan yelled together in frustration. Tea only giggled some more.

"Oh so you think that's funny huh?" Tristan said, "Well at least you have a point when it comes to Joey."

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Joey yelled. Atemu just grinned at the antics of these two humans. He just met them, and already he couldn't wait to get to know them.

"All right you two, knock it off." Tea said to the pair, and as the two friends gave a sheepish grin, she turned to Atemu. "Well, now we gave you our names, so what's yours?" Atemu opened his mouth with the intention of introducing himself. But even as his lips moved, not a single sound came out of his throat. Simply put, he was completely silent, literally. Atemu's smile faded right then and there. He turned his head away from the group, lightly touching his throat as he did so. As he let his hand drop slowly, tears began to stream down his eyes, the first human tears of salty water he ever cried. How in the world did he forget? He finally got to be with his Lady, but he had sold his voice to make it possible. He sank sorrowfully into the pillow, still in his seated position, and the three humans, especially Tea, became concerned. Even the cute monsters looked at him in worry.

"What's wrong?" Tea asked. Slowly, the former merman looked up at her with deep sorrow in his eyes. "It's okay, you can tell me." she reassured. But the sorrow remained. Atemu lifted a hand and briefly touched his lips then moved on to gently tapping his throat and when he finished, he slowly shook his head. Tea's expression also turned sad when she saw what the young man was gesturing. "Oh… I understand now." she said in pity, "You're mute, aren't you?" In response, Atemu sadly nodded.

"Eh… He's mute? What does she mean by that?" Joey said dumbly.

"It means he can't talk, you moron. He's literally voiceless." Tristan answered.

Joey blinked once before he said, "I know that…" Atemu let out a silent, depressed sigh, and more tears streamed down. Tea wanted so badly to cheer him up, so she reached out to touch his shoulder. When he faced her again, she took her free hand and wiped away the tears. He could see the gentle caring smile on her face as she did so.

"Don't worry about it." she said, "Voice or no voice, it doesn't matter to me. You're still welcome to spend time here, if you want." Those words did the trick, for in the midst of fading tears, his smile returned. "I'm glad!" Tea laughed happily, "In any case, it's just about time for dinner. When the food is ready, I bring some of it to you, is that all right?" Atemu nodded.

"Mmmm! Just thinking about dinner makes me hungry." Joey said dreamily as he and the others began to leave the room.

"Joey, good grief! You're always hungry!" Tristan yelled. "At least save some food for the castaway." Thunder Kid wobbled over to Tristan's side, and Happy Lover flew to his beloved mistress, but Scorch stopped as Joey turned to him.

"Scorch, if our castaway decides he's strong enough to start walking, let me know, OK?" Scorch emitted a cute little roar in eagerness. Thus the three humans left the room, and Atemu was alone with the baby dragon. It was at this moment that Atemu decided to take advantage of this time and explore his new body. Scorch looked upon the newcomer in interest as he looked at his hands and his arms. There was no sign of any fins on the arms and all the spaces between his fingers are empty. He touched his new skin, and was amazed at how soft it is, not to mention smooth. _Fascinating!_ Atemu thought. _I never thought that human skin could feel that way!_ He then moved a hand to touch his ears, and found that they were round. Upon feeling something soft rubbing against his hand, he traced upward. He was delighted to find that his head fins had taken a new shape as well, for they had transformed into real hair that had remained the same color and shape as it had before. Atemu ran his fingers right through his new hair and he smiled. _It's just like the Dolphin Folk's hair!_ Looking downward now, he made the bold decision to uncover the blankets, to know for sure that he is really human. Slowly he took hold of the blanket, and in one swift motion he drew it back from his body. Had he still had his voice, he would have let out a cry of joy. For there they are, his perfect human legs! True, he was naked, and that made him blush for a moment, but the evidence is right in front of him! He is a human! Continuing to explore, Atemu ran his fingers onto his new limbs. It wasn't long before he got to the round bumps below his thighs. _Amazing! This must be what humans call… what do they call them? Knees? Yeah, that it!_ He looked at his legs and he gave his famous smirk. _I think it's time I test them out._ So he concentrated hard, and slowly, the knee on one leg started to bend, and then so did the knee on the other. Atemu smiled at his accomplishment and soon his eyes traveled further down his legs. It didn't take long before he took notice of his new feet, and they were just as handsome as the rest of his new form. As he touched them, he couldn't help but admire them, from the ankles all the way to his toes. As an experiment, he concentrated on moving a foot. One side, then the other, Atemu smiled at the results. His amusement was just as great when he wiggled his toes on that foot. _I think I'm going to like being a human!_ He thought. He looked down on the floor, and he smirked yet again. _Better put these legs to good use._ As if understanding his intention to walk, Scorch flew out of the room, intent on informing his friend so he could get aid. Atemu maneuvered his legs so that his feet were towards the floor. But just as he was about to touch the floor, he suddenly began to hesitate.

"**As you walk, every step you take will be assaulted with extreme agony, as if you tread barefoot over an endless path of crystal razors."**

Those were Pegasus' words, ingrained in his memory. Atemu shook his head quickly to get the thought out of his head. _I am a warrior!_ Atemu thought, _I refuse to bed ridden for the rest of my life!_ Once again, he moved his feet towards the floor. Slowly but surely, he allowed one foot to make contact with the smooth marble. But no sooner than he added weight to his foot than extreme pain made its first assault. His eyes widened and he let out a sudden gasp. Immediately he recoiled his foot off the floor, grabbing onto it as he hissed in pain. So great was the agony that for a moment he actually thought the sole of his foot was bleeding with several cuts. But as it turned out, there was no injury. _So that was the pain that Pegasus warned me about._ Atemu thought, and again he shook his head quickly, giving a glare once he finished. _Get a hold of yourself Atemu. You can do this!_ Looking down on the floor yet again, determination filled his heart. _I will walk, and I won't let any pain stop me from doing it._ he thought. Once again, Atemu allowed his feet to make contact with the floor. Putting his full weight on one foot, he could feel the pain return stronger than ever. Upon placing his other foot on the floor, it was assaulted with the very same pain. Atemu winced as he stood straight up. Using the bed as temporary support, he allowed his new legs to gain strength. Then he slowly began to take his first steps upon the land. Each step he took felt as if crystal knife blades were beneath his bare feet, stabbing him with no mercy. But Atemu is known for his courage, and he refused to waver. Since his legs are brand new, he had a bit of difficulty staying up because they were a bit wobbly. He took it slow though, and he could feel his legs growing a bit stronger. He found himself leaving the support of the bed, and he attempted to let go. He stumbled, but he caught himself on a nearby set of drawers to keep from falling. Just in time, Joey and Tristan arrived on to the scene, as the Prince was feeling awkward at the moment.

"Hey!" Joey called out, "Need a little help? You seem to be having a hard time over there." Atemu nodded, grateful for the generosity of the two humans. Joey took hold of him on the right side, and Tristan on the left, to keep him steady.

"Okay, you ready?" Tristan asked. Atemu nodded in reply, and he started walking again. As he moved, the two human men gave him a great deal of praise and encouragement, and whenever he started to stumble again, the two humans held him up and kept him from falling. His new legs grew stronger yet, in spite of the intense pain in his feet, and after a few minutes of practice he made less falls.

"You're doing pretty good there." Tristan complimented, "You're getting the hang of it pretty quickly. Joey, I know this is sudden, but let's see if he can walk on his own."

"I don't see why not." Joey replied and turned to Atemu. "You up to the challenge?" Atemu nodded with a smirk. "All right! Now Tristan and I are gonna let you go, but don't worry, we'll catch you if you start falling. Are you ready?" Again Atemu nodded. Slowly the two men let their grip loosen until finally Atemu was standing on his own. Confidence had grown in the former merman at this moment, and he began to take his first steps without support. The pace was slow at first, but he began to quicken. He smiled, full of pride, as he now walked as if he had walked his whole life, and he did not fall at all. The two humans cheered for him, applauding.

"Yeah! You did awesome, man!" Tristan said to him. "Now that you're fully recovered, I think it's best that you don't wait here for dinner. Would you like to come eat with us instead?" Atemu nodded eagerly. He wanted to be with his Lady, and he wanted to get to know her and the two men standing before him.

"Great! We'll show you where Tea is at the moment," Joey said, "But before we do…" he rushed to the drawers and took out a bundle of white cloth, revealing one of them to be a shirt. "…we need to get you dressed up. You don't want to walk around naked and stuff like that, do ya?" Atemu shook his head, blushing at his own nudity. But there was a smile on his face. He's could get used to this!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16: Finding the Way to Communicate 

Tea stood anxiously just outside the hall to the dining room. Shadi, Mai, and Serenity were all with her, as are the three monsters, waiting patiently for the return of Joey and Tristan with the young stranger. The girls have already changed clothes by now, with Serenity in a dress of gold and white, Mai wearing an elegant blue dress and Tea wearing a beautiful green long-sleeved dress with blues on the edges of the flowing skirt. Upon discovering that he started walking, they began to wonder if he wanted to stay in bed or not. They didn't have to wait long, because they soon heard footsteps coming down the hall towards them. Shadi was the first to notice three men approaching them.

"Ah, Joseph, Tristan! I see that the stranger has decided to come with you." he said smiling. Indeed, there was Atemu standing before the group, and Tea smiled. He was wearing a simple white shirt, with long sleeves decorated with a triangle pattern on the cuffs. The pattern was also seen at the head of the shirt, and the bottom of it reached above the knees and below the torso, with a sash on his waist tied as an elegant belt. Equally white pants added to the peacefulness of his simple wardrobe, and he remained barefoot. Scorch, Thunder Kid, and Happy Lover went approached him in greeting, before Tea herself stepped forward.

"Sorry we're late." Joey said sheepishly, "We were a bit busy helping him put on some clothes."

"Oh that's okay." Tea said and she walked towards the trio. "You weren't late at all."

"Oh, he's cute!" Serenity squealed at the sight of the handsome young man. "Hello, I'm Serenity. Joey is my older brother."

"He may be a dingbat most of the time, but I am proud to call Joey my boyfriend!" Mai said proudly, "Most people call me Mai by the way." Atemu only smiled in reply, and Shadi stepped forward.

"Welcome young stranger." He said. "I am Shadi, High Priest of the Blue Eyes Platinum Dragon, Bahamut. Of course, you might not have heard of this benevolent god, so I will be more than happy to teach you about him." Atemu nodded. "It is quite a shame that you don't have a voice to speak with." Shadi continued sadly, "It would be a great pleasure for all of us to know of your name." The former merman gave an equally sad sigh. Pegasus had told him that he would have to find another way to communicate, but how in the world can he possibly do that? Then a thought came to him, and his eyes widened. Maybe if he could… A smile took form on his lips. Before Tea could react, Atemu gently took hold of her hand, turned it so that the palm was facing up, then used the pointing finger on his free hand to trace his name on it. At first Tea was quite surprised at this action.

"Huh? W-what are you doing?" Tea asked in confusion.

Tristan was just as confused. "No offense, but man, that looks pretty weir--" he said, but then he raised an eyebrow "Hey, wait a sec. Is he… drawing letters?" Tea's eyes widened as the pieces fit together like a puzzle.

"That it!" she gasped joyfully, "Hey guys, you helped me figure it out! My hand is like a piece of parchment, and his finger is like a pen. He's writing his words on my hand!" Sinking in the princess's explanation, the others smiled as Atemu's action suddenly made sense. Scorch and Thunder Kid even looked at each other, emitting happy growls.

"That's awesome Tea!" Joey said, "Maybe now we can learn the guy's name!"

"And about him being weird when he's doing that, I take it back." Tristan said. Thunder Kid grunted in excitement. Tea nodded and turned her head to the former merman.

"Can you slow down for a bit?" she asked. Atemu nodded, and he slowed his pace as he spelled out what she wanted to know. Tea read aloud to the group, "A…T…E…M…U…" And then he stopped writing for a moment. There was a pause before Tea looked up. "Atemu?" Tea asked him, and he nodded. "Is that your name?" Again, Atemu nodded enthusiastically. She even pronounced his name perfectly! Tea smiled, then let out a joyful laugh. "That's a wonderful name! Well then Atemu, would you like to eat dinner with me and my friends?" Atemu nodded. He would be honored! "Okay! Let's go guys."

"We're right behind ya, Tea!" Joey said, and everyone moved onward to the dining room. Though Atemu could feel the invisible crystal knives stabbing his feet as he followed, he paid no heed to the pain.

* * *

It was sunset when they all were seated at an elegant table and the main course was being served. How lucky Atemu feels to be able to sit by his beloved princess! And how curious he is about the meal in front of him. Whatever it is, it sure smells good.

"This roast beef looks tasty, doesn't it?" Tea said. "Go ahead and give it a try." Atemu slowly picked up a familiar utensil and looked at it. The memory of its appraisal flooded into his head. A fork, he recalled. One of the "tools" that humans use to eat with. He maneuvered the fork slowly until he got it in the proper position, then he carefully stuck it into the meat. Under Tea's guidance, he used the table knife to slice the meat, and once that was done he lifted it up to his mouth and took a bite. Tea looked at him in anticipation. He chewed the meat, then his expression revealed tremendous delight. What a marvelous taste! In his opinion it's even better than the fish!

"So what do think?" Tea asked. Atemu smiled at her, expressing his approval. This certainly made her smile, oh how he loves to see her smile! "I'm so happy you like it!" she giggled, "I give the complements to the chef."

"And he's so polite too!" Mai said, "Now if only Joey and Tristan are that good with table manners…" Atemu silently chuckled as he watched the two wolf down their meals. Joey even let out a loud belch before he stuffed more food into his mouth.

"So Atemu," Tea said, "Where do you live? If it's possible, I might be able to help you get home." Atemu gave a sad smile and wrote on her palm. "_I thank you for your offer, but I no longer have a home._" Tea read aloud, acting as a surrogate voice for the Prince. She looked at him, saying, "Oh, how awful! I didn't know that. I'm so sorry." The others were looking sadly at Atemu as well, even Joey, although the blonde continued to eat.

"So he doesn't have anywhere to live?" Serenity said, "How sad."

"I know Serenity." Tea replied. She turned to Atemu and said, "You don't have to worry about it anymore. If you want me to, I'll let you live here in this castle. This kingdom will be your new home. Is that all right with you?" Atemu beamed. _Such kindness and generosity she expressed to me!_ he thought. _It makes her lovely figure and face seem but a mere reflection to the overwhelming beauty of her heart and soul._ He nodded happily. "I'm glad I can help!" Tea said.

"So…you mean he's staying? Really?" Joey said, after swallowing his fruit. Then he gleefully punched his fist straight up in the air, shouting, "All right! We got no worries now!"

"That's great!" Tristan said, "And just in time for the Spring Festival too!"

"Ah, the Spring Festival!" Shadi mused, "This year is going to be the best. As far as I know, Atemu here has yet to witness this celebration. Isn't that right?" Atemu nodded.

"Well then, would you like to come with me and my friends tomorrow to see it?" Tea said, "There's going to be a carnival in the Marketplace, with tons of games and entertainment! And then comes my favorite part in the early evening: A feast, with dancing!" Upon hearing of these upcoming events, Atemu's enthusiasm soared, and he nodded. Of course he would go with her! The Spring Festival sounds like fun, and he not only wanted to get to know her, he wanted to get to know the world she loves. That way, he would do whatever it takes to protect it and care for it. "Heeheehee it's settled then!" Tea giggled, "I'll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!" Atemu blushed at her words. He's definitely looking forward to it.

* * *

Later that night, Atemu had already been escorted to his new room. Needless to say, it was fit for a king! There's even a mirror in the corner, and he wasted no time to look at himself in it. He stared long at the figure standing before him. He could not help it. Even his face had the smooth cream-colored skin as the rest of his body, but when it comes to eye color, his irises remained the familiar crimson. _Is this… really me?_ he thought to himself. Then he smiled. _I sure hope I stay this way._ His mind began to linger, and soon, memories of the sea, his friends and family all rushed into his head. Standing by the open window, he could see the fantastic view of the ocean from which he came. He wondered what is going on with them, now that he is no longer a creature of the sea. _I miss all of them already. But I can never turn back. I belong in the Realm Above now, with my Lady._ Atemu placed a hand upon his heart. Tomorrow will be the start of a brand new day, and for him, a brand new beginning. _You just wait._ he thought, _I'll prove you all wrong, and I'll show you once and for all that Tea and I are meant to be!_ And he walked away from the window, ready to sleep in his new bed. 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17: The Spring Festival

The sun had just rose to herald a new day, and in his bed Atemu squinted. _It's so bright for some reason. And what is this noise I'm hearing?_ he thought. _It sounds… pleasant._ Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up. Looking around he saw his new bedroom filled with the light of the sun, and when he looked out the window, he saw birds chirping their sweet songs in the branches. _That's right! I live in the Realm Above now! I suppose this is how humans know that morning has arrived._ That's when he remembered. Today is the Spring Festival! He smiled with excitement. _Well, time to get ready._ He rose out of bed, ignoring the pain when his feet pressed on to the floor as he stood up. After a refreshing stretch, he padded to the closet. _I'm going to need to wear some proper clothing from now on._ he thought. _But what exactly should I wear?_ He was just about to open the closet when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up just in time to see two familiar human men open the door and walk in. It was Joey and Tristan.

"Morning Atemu," Joey greeted, "Seems like you're already up. You excited about the Festival?" Atemu smiled and nodded.

"We came up here to help you get ready." Tristan said, "You don't mind, do you?" Atemu shook his head no. "Okay then, first things first: we need to get you cleaned up. Care for a nice hot bath?" Atemu simply blushed when he looked at himself. _That Tristan guy's got a point. There's some residue from the ocean, and I did smell a bit like… well fish! A bath definitely sounds like a good idea._ He nodded in agreement.

"All right, we'll show you where the bathing pool is. You're gonna love it!" said Joey. And so the boys acted as an escort to the young man. When they arrived, Atemu was amazed as he saw a large pool steaming with what he felt is comfortable heat. In the center of the pool is a large fountain, with statues of four elegant dragons, each in a direction of the compass, spewing water from their open mouths. 

"So, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?" Joey said. "Get yourself undressed, so you can clean up your whole body from every nook and cranny." Although he blushed in embarrassment, Atemu nodded in understanding. He quickly removed the clothes he wore in bed, and allowed himself to enter the water. It was so warm, so pleasant! In spite of this, Atemu quickly figured out what to do and wasted no time scrubbing himself clean, even his hair. _It feels so good!_ he thought, _I should do this more often, like every morning when I wake up._ Once he felt clean enough, he dunked himself in the water to rinse. He looked at the two humans upon resurfacing.

"All right, now that you're all clean, let's get you in some cool clothes." Joey said. Atemu grew curious when he saw the blonde smirk. "In fact, there's one set of duds in particular that suits you perfectly. You can try it on when we get to your room."

* * *

Princess Tea and her friends were near the hall leading outside waiting for the boys to finish their preparations. 

"This is so exciting!" Serenity said, "This year's Spring Festival is going to be a blast! And to top it off, there's the new boy in town! This will be memorable!"

"Hey, save your excitement until the boys show up." said Mai. 

"Mai's right, Serenity." Tea said, "The fun's just getting started." At that moment, Happy Lover looked up and started squealing as happily as his namesake. The girls looked up to see Joey and Tristan walk in. 

"Hi Tea! We're all set and ready to go!" Joey greeted.

"Oh hi guys. Where's Atemu?" Tea asked.

"You're about to see him right about… now!" Tristan replied, and the two boys parted to face the staircase. "All right man, come on over here!" As the group watched, Atemu strode down the stairs, and they were astounded. Scorch and Thunder Kid were bouncing up and down in high approval and Tea couldn't help but gasp in amazement. Atemu was wearing a sleeveless black leather shirt, with flaring leather pants of the same color. On his feet were a pair of black leather boots, and his pants reached to his ankles. In the center of his chest was a golden ring held in place by dark brown buckles, one around his chest like a studded belt and one strapped vertically down to the waist, where it is held by the real leather belt decorated by a single ring in the center. Another belt buckle was strapped above the true belt and below the chest, covered by the vertical buckle to make a cross-like image. Both upper arms each had a pair of belt-like straps with the pointed ends sticking out, and on each wrist were black bracelets of studded leather, with each end of the bracelet decorated with a simple ring of gold. Two belts even graced the thigh of his right leg. As the finishing touch, a long flowing black cloak colored red on the inside rested on his shoulders, held in place by the ring on his chest. He gave the group a smirk, feeling as cool as he looks.

"Wow!" Tea gasped as the young man approached her, "Atemu! You look—amazing!"

"Ooo, somebody looks sexy!" Mai complimented. 

"Yeah, don't you think it looks perfect on him?" Joey said, "These duds definitely came into mind when I look at him!"

"You know, for a spazz, you chose well. He certainly likes what he's wearing" Mai whistled. Joey grinned proudly—until he realized what his girlfriend had called him.

"Hey, who are ya calling a spazz?" he shouted angrily.

"Well, everything's all set!" Tea said, "Ready to go to the Festival?"

"Oh yeah! Let's go out and party!" Joey said, his anger quickly forgotten. Laughter echoed in the halls, but Atemu only smiled. As they all walked outside, Atemu couldn't help but let his mind wander. _These boots are quite comfortable, and it's the first time I ever wear such things as shoes. But somehow, even though I wear those boots, I get the strange feeling that I remain barefoot._ He looked down at his feet as he continued to walk. _I can still feel the sharp blades piercing my feet, and because of that, I can barely feel anything else._ Indeed, each step continued to cause him pain, even in shoes. But, being the warrior at heart, he paid no heed. Eventually, the group reached the outside of the castle. Waiting for them was a pair of elegant coaches, each one with a team of four horses in front. Atemu was enchanted by these graceful animals, and he found himself wanting to touch them.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Tea asked, and the Prince nodded. "You and I are going to go ride in this coach over there while the rest take a ride in the other one. You don't mind, do you?" Atemu blushed and shook his head, smiling as he did so. And so the couple entered, and once all preparations were made, the coaches were off. During the minutes spent in riding, Atemu looked out of the window. What a view! The landscape is nothing like any he had ever seen before. Among the sights was a pleasant countryside with neatly plowed fields, a forest of trees unlike that which he saw from the sea, and more curious animals and creatures. _So beautiful!_ He thought_, It must have been well cared for!_ He looked away for a moment and laid eyes on the princess, who sat across from him, and he smiled. _Tea… the scenery is nothing compared to your smile. How it gently caresses my heart!_

* * *

The group finally reached the Marketplace, and the festivities had just started. Everywhere he looked there were crowds and colors painting the town. Craftsfolk demonstrated their skills, music filled the air, and there were many stalls dedicated to different games. Atemu felt a rush of excitement, for if there's anything he likes to do the most, it's play games. 

"Hey Atemu!" Joey shouted, "You up for a challenge?" Those are the exact words he needed to hear. Smirking, Atemu stepped toward a slingshot target game and Joey was waiting for him. Tea also went toward the booth and she smiled.

"So you want to take part in a little competition with Joey, huh? This would be fun, considering that he never lost a target game." She said to Atemu, "Good luck to both of you guys!"

"Thanks Tea!" Joey said grinning, "Now here's the thing Atemu, we throw these stones with these slingshots, and we'll hit those targets over there." Joey pointed to two target circles in front of them, and Atemu took in the information. "Whoever hits the bullseye the closest is the winner. So, you ready?" Atemu nodded, giving his infamous smirk. Joey in turn gave the former merman the thumbs up and said, "All right, bring it on!" Both took up a slingshot and went to their chosen targets. In between those targets was the shopkeeper posing as the judge of the contest, and he was just as excited. "I'll go first!" Joey declared, and he started swinging his slingshot. With a loud "Heeee-ya!" he flung the stone right on to the target. The stone barely hit its mark, making a dent on the edge of the bullseye. 

"Nice shot there!" said the shopkeeper. "You barely made it!"

"Okay Atemu, it's your turn!" Joey said, "See if you can beat that!" Atemu, of course had high confidence, and he started swinging the slingshot. Soon he hurled the stone and it hit the bullseye—right smack dab in the exact middle, in fact. Everyone who watched the contest were all astonished at what they had seen, even Joey, who stared in shock. 

"Incredible!" the shopkeeper said, "This young man hit the bullseye in the exact spot. We have a winner!" The crowd gave the silent young man a round of applause, especially Tea, amazed by his talent. 

"Seems like you finally met your match Joey!" Tristan shouted. Atemu turned to the blonde to find him smiling.

"You got really good aim there," said Joey, "Even I couldn't do something like that. You beat me fair and square pal." And being the good sport that he is, Joey offered a handshake, which Atemu gladly accepted. _A human who knows good sportsmanship…_ Atemu thought, _This is going to be a great friendship._ Suddenly, there was a high pitched scream and they all turned to see a commoner rushing to Tea with a desperate look on her face.

"HELP, HELP! Somebody help me!" she cried, "My purse! It's been stolen!" 

"Calm down, everything's going to be okay." Tea said to the weeping lady, "We'll find that thief and catch him."

"Well we don't have to look far!" Mai said pointing, "There he is!" Indeed, in a distance, a man with a bandana and a sneer was seen in the act of mugging another innocent bystander. 

"Hey! That's the infamous Bandit Keith!" Joey shouted in rage. As if knowing he was caught in the act, Keith bolted. 

"Let's get him!" shouted one of the guards, and they dashed right after him. Serenity grew worried.

"He's so far from here and he's running so fast! At this rate we'll never catch him! What are we going to do?" she said. Luckily for the crowd, Atemu's wits are even faster. Without a second thought, Atemu grabbed a particularly large rock, ran in front of the others, and threw it hard. All those days of throwing rocks on Marik have paid off, and from a long distance, the rock hit its mark: right on the head of Bandit Keith as he was dashing. Keith fell down unconscious on the spot. With the bandit knocked down, the guards caught up with him easily.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" a child shouted in awe, "That is so cool!"

"Amazing!" another commoner said, "That young man just hit the bandit from right over here!"

"He's a hero!" cheered a third, and before long everyone cheered wildly. Atemu just smiled, just as Tea ran towards him.

"That was amazing!" she said to him, "I didn't know your aim was that good!" The prince blushed at her comment.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the group had taken notice of a traveling minstrel readying himself. Once they all took a seat among the crowd, the minstrel began his performance. He sang a Celtic melody, and the audience marveled in his voice. Atemu, sitting by his princess, stared at the minstrel, whose singing almost made the angels weep… almost. _Even though I rarely sing myself, I'm still a lot better than he is._ Atemu thought, but then he grew sad. _Oh, what am I thinking? I'm no match for that minstrel now. I don't have a voice anymore. Is it really worth it?_ A tear managed to escape from his eye, and Tea took notice of his sorrow.

"Atemu?" Tea asked, getting his attention, "What's the matter? You look so sad." Atemu looked at his beloved pensively, before he sighed. _She's so kind. I guess I'll let her know._ He took her hand and started writing with his finger. Joey and Tristan took interest as Tea read aloud, "_There was a time when I had a voice to speak with. But now that time is gone. That's why there is sorrow in my heart._" When Atemu stopped writing, Tea understood what he was trying to explain. "So you could talk before?" Atemu nodded sadly. 

"Aw man, I didn't know that." Joey said.

"Me neither." said Tristan, "I'm very sorry, man." Atemu silently sighed again. It was then that Tea put her hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw that she was smiling.

"Don't you worry about it." she said, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that you'll get your voice back one day." Atemu's eyes widened with hope as he suddenly remembered Pegasus' promise. Though the tears are still in his eyes, he smiled at her. _You're right, my Lady. I will have a voice again…Your love will bring it back._ Now it so happened that a little furry brown creature with green legs and large eyes was hopping by when it took notice of the young man. Seeing how cute it was when Atemu received comfort from the princess, it hopped over to him. Before he could react, the little creature bounced high and landed gently on his lap. This surprised him to no end, and it started to snuggle him.

"Hey, isn't that Kuriboh?" Tristan asked. "Heh heh, I think it likes you."

"Isn't it so cute?" Tea said, feeling bubbly. Atemu couldn't help but smile at this as well. "Well, let's go back to the castle. The best part of the festival is coming up!" 

"OH YEAH!" Joey shouted joyfully, "Gotta love the banquet!"

"Joey, you really have food on the brain, don't you?" Mai said.

A small distance from the group, Mako Tsunami was enjoying some of the turkey leg he bought from a shop. "Mmmm, this is so good! Maybe I'll get some for Ruby and Great White…" he said to himself as he took another bite. He had barely finished his sentence when he took notice of the Princess' group of friends as they were heading to the castle. One of them especially caught his attention. "Now that's funny," he said to himself, "this young man looks awfully familiar… must have been my imagination, but who knows?" Mako shrugged. "Well, now's not the time to think about it. I need to get back to my ship anyway. It's too bad I won't be going to the banquet **this** year, it would have been a blast. Oh well, there's always next time."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18: The Dance of his Dreams; Enter the Rival.

A beautiful sunset shone in the background of Castle Aria, and many people were gathering for the main event of the Festival. Most outside of the castle were busy talking with each other as they each slowly entered. Suddenly, a roar echoed throughout the skies and the crowd looked up to the source. Above them were four Blue Eyes White Dragons flying majestically in the air. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that on the back of one dragon was a young man, accompanied by a small boy. The four dragons flew closer, and as they made landing, much of the crowd had to move out of the way to not only to avoid being crushed but to make the path clear for the two riders as well. The main rider controlling the dragon stepped down first. He was a tall young man, with brown hair that was neatly combed, and piercing blue eyes. He was clad in pale blue dragonscale armor that made him appear that he had fused with one of the dragons, and that armor covered his chest and forearms. Likely, his forelegs and feet were donned with boots plated entirely with the pale blue dragonscale. The parts where the armor did not cover revealed a dark blue cloth, adding contrast to the light color, and to top it all off, a green cloak flowed on his back. Following the young man was the small boy, with long black hair and blue eyes. He wore an elegant shirt, with red pants and white stockings fitted with black shoes. The moment they saw those two they began to talk amongst themselves.

"That's Seto Kaiba, one of the famous Dragon Knights!"

"He's quite a handsome lad, isn't he?"

"I heard he owns four Blue Eyes White Dragons. I guess it's true from what I'm seeing…"

"Looks like he's going to attempt to woo Princess Tea again."

"Tell me about it. He's got a crush on her that's for sure." The young knight, Seto, ignored the murmurs of the crowd as he walked by. He was not entirely a bad person, but his heart was of ice, filled with pride to the point of arrogance, much to the frustration of the more nobler members of the Order. Nevertheless, he was a respected Dragon Knight, and a few of the young ladies find him quite attractive. However, there is only one woman whose heart he wanted to capture, and so far, she had eluded him.

"We're here Mokuba." Seto said to the child. The boy, Mokuba, grinned at his older brother.

"Wow, this is better than last year!" he said, "I love festivals, especially the Spring Festival!"

"I know you do." said Seto, "I look forward to this too you know."

"Is it because of Princess Tea?" asked Mokuba

"Yeah, you're really bright there, you know that kiddo?" Seto said, smirking. "Yes, once again I get a chance to win my lovely lady." He blushed at the thought of it. "Perhaps this time, she'll accept my invitation to dance."

"Well, good luck Big Brother!" Mokuba said cheerfully. The two entered the castle, while the four dragons waited patiently outside.

* * *

Inside the castle, the dining room was jam pack with tons of guests. The fates must certainly been kind to Atemu, because he once again managed to take a seat right by his beloved. The main course this time was lobster, and Atemu savored the meal with every bite. The main diet of the true merfolk is seafood, and Deep Dwellers like what he used to be often herd schools of edible fish like humans do with cattle, chickens and pigs. The Dolphin Folk are even known to share their fish meals with the actual dolphins. Either way, most of the seafood is eaten raw by the true merfolk, so Atemu was surprised at first that many humans cook the seafood they eat. _But I don't mind it at all._ he thought, _As a matter of fact, I actually like it. I'm happy to know that they managed to bring a piece of home to this world._

"I'm happy you like the lobster Atemu," said Tea, "The cooks have worked so hard to make this just right." Kuriboh and Happy Lover squeaked in agreement. It was at this moment that a certain knight and his little brother made an entrance.

"Now, where is my precious princess?" Seto muttered, looking around the tables. His eyes scanned the room, until finally he found Tea in all her beauty. But what's this?

"Hey Seto," Mokuba said, pointing, "Who's that guy sitting next to Tea?" That's right, someone new had managed to sit next to his beloved princess, a man with tri-colored spiky hair. Seto knew that on the few occasions a man other than himself got lucky enough to sit next to her, but this stranger caught his attention. Is she actually… happy to be with this man? Not out of politeness, but actually happy! _I'm the one who's supposed to make her happy like that!_ Seto thought, _Who is this man who dares to make her feel that way?_ The seed of jealousy planted itself in his cold heart, but the jealousy was small.

"I'm going to have a chat with the princess… and this stranger." Seto said bluntly, and he walked towards the group with that intent in mind. Joey looked up from his eating just in time to see Seto approaching. The blonde instantly gave a menacing glare, snarling at the cold-hearted Dragon Knight.

"Hey Joey, what's up?" Tristan asked, before Scorch let out a small angry roar. Soon, Tristan also took notice and frowned. "Oh, it's Seto again…"

"Seto?" Tea said, grabbing Atemu's attention and curiosity. "He's here already?"

"Seems like it," Mai replied in annoyance, "And by the looks of it, he's coming right towards us." Tea and Atemu turned to see the blue-eyed knight walking to where they are seated.

"Hello Tea." he said sweetly.

"Uh, hi Seto…" Tea said nervously, "H-how are you doing today?"

"Quite fine, thank you." Seto replied, "I just came back from training my dragons, and I wanted to take part in the festivities."

"Oh, well, I'm happy to hear that." Tea replied. Seto smirked and turned his eyes towards Atemu.

"I see that you are lucky to find a seat by the Princess." he said, "So, what is your name?" Atemu just stared at him, saying nothing, and after a pause, Seto frowned. "Well, answer me!" he said rudely, "You can talk you know!" Atemu only replied with a glare. _What a disrespectful man!_ he thought, _Talking to me like I'm some sort of slug!_

"Seto, that was rude!" Tea said in anger, "His name is Atemu, and the reason why he's not talking is because he can't!"

"What are you talking about? Why can't he talk?" Seto said. Atemu, enraged by Seto's reaction, tried to yell at him to shut up, but silence was the only thing that came out of his mouth. _Damn, I forgot again!_ he thought, and so with Seto watching, he patted his throat to make a point. Seto was in shock at first at the evidence he had seen, but soon his lips curved into a sly smirk. "Oh, so you're mute, eh? Well then I got nothing to say to you." Then turning to Tea with a flirtatious expression, he said, "I'll see you at the dance, my sweet."

"Oh, uuh, right." Tea said nervously. As soon as Seto left, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't let him bother you," she said to Atemu, "he's always such a rude person to most people. Although I have to admit, I don't really know what I feel about him…" For a moment, Atemu got worried. Could it be possible that she might…? But then he shrugged off the thought. Of course not! Why would she want to be with that man?

"Seto's one of the Dragon Knights, isn't he?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah, and he's the proud owner of four Blue Eyes White Dragons." Replied Tristan, "He's quite a showoff when it comes to those dragons, you know?" Thunder Kid, of course, did a raspberry in reply to this.

"He sure is." said Mai, "The Dragon Knights as a whole are paragons of virtue and justice, so I reckon that even the entire Order is frustrated with Seto and his reputation for arrogance. At least he's nice to his little brother."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but he pisses me off!" Joey said angrily.

"Still can't get over the fact that he called you a mutt, huh?" Mai said.

"I'LL SHOW THAT SLEAZE WHO'S THE MUTT! JUST YOU WAIT!" Joey shouted. Atemu silently agreed with Joey, but the order from which Seto came from perked his interest. _Dragon Knights?_ he thought, _Paragons of virtue and justice? This sounds like __**my**__ kind of knightly order! I need to check this out!_ Soon his thoughts were interrupted at the sound of Tea's heavenly voice.

"All right guys, enough talk about Seto!" she giggled, "The dances are about to begin!" Atemu's eyes lit up almost instantly. This would be his chance!

* * *

There were drums, tambourines, flutes, pennywhistles, harps, lutes, just to name a few, and they were all playing harmonious Celtic tunes as the guests danced and had a wonderful time. Atemu watched them, enjoying their complex movements. _I hope I get to do this with my Lady._ he thought. He turned his head to see the princess standing alone by a pillar. He remembered clearly how she had yet to find the perfect dancing partner, and he blushed. _It's almost time to start such a couple's dance. I sure hope I'm the one she's looking for._

"Oh, hey there Atemu." Joey said as he and Mai approached. "There's a couple's jig that going to come up next. Have you found a partner yet?" Atemu nodded with a smile.

"Well, good for you!" Mai said. At that moment, Tristan came into the scene.

"Hey, what's up?" he greeted. "You guys all set for the jig?" At the same time, Seto had found Tea by herself like she always was. _This is my chance!_ he thought, and he made his approach.

Tristan looked up just in time to see this. "Hey look," he said pointing, "Seto's trying to partner up with Tea again!"

"Oh brother, it's like this at every festival that has dancing." Mai said, "Doesn't he know when to stop?"

"Apparently not." Joey muttered. Atemu watched as Seto came close to his beloved, and he grew worried. Tea snapped out of her reverie just in time to look at the blue eyed knight before her.

"Oh, hey Seto." Tea said.

"Hello my princess," Seto replied, "The first of the couple's dances will start soon."

"Ah, thank you for reminding me!" she said blushing, "It's too bad I haven't found a partner yet."

"So I heard. Well, I don't want to see you dance all by yourself in times like these, so…" then Seto gently took hold of her hand and asked, "…would you like to have the honor of dancing with me?" Atemu watched with a sense of dread, worried at how she would react to this invitation.

Tea withdrew her hand from Seto's and said to him with a sigh, "I'm sorry Seto, but as usual I decline on your offer. You're just not the perfect dancing partner I'm looking for." Seto frowned a bit at this rejection.

"Oh, I see." Then Seto started to smile again. "Well, I hope you enjoy the dance anyway."

"Thanks." Replied Tea and Seto walked away. _Oh well, there's always next time._ he thought, _It's not like any other man would get to dance with her anyway._ Meanwhile, Atemu breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"She's rejected his offer, as always." Tristan said.

"Well she does the same with every other man who offered to dance with her." Mai said, "That's why she never did the couple's dances in the past even though she does them perfectly. And as far as I know, it's unlikely she'll take part this time too." She had just finished when Atemu broke from the group.

"Huh? Atemu? Where ya going?" Joey asked. Atemu just continued walking towards the princess, in spite of the sensation of crystal knives stabbing at his feet. _I have to do this._ he thought, _Surely she'll accept my invitation, right?_ Everyone stared in amazement as they realized the young man's intentions.

"Tristan," Joey muttered, "Is he gonna do what I think he's gonna do?"

"He is!" Tristan gasped, "He's going to ask Tea to dance with him!"

"Well, he's got guts to give it a try." Mai said, smirking. Atemu finally reached his princess and Tea once again snapped from her reverie upon feeling his presence.

"Oh, Atemu!" Tea said, "What a pleasant surprise! Is there something you need?" Atemu simply smiled and began to write on her palm. "_My Lady…would you…like to dance with me?_" Tea read. Tea just stared at him for a moment, blushing as she did so. Atemu blushed likewise, and somehow his heart was filled with hope. After a small pause, Tea began to giggle. That giggle turned into a joyful laugh, much to the amazement of her friends. What she said next amazed them even further. "Why of course, Atemu! I would be honored to dance with you!" Atemu's heart filled with astounding joy at those words. She had accepted him! The two then walked hand in hard towards the dance floor, just as the music for the jig was getting started. The three other friends stood with wide eyes over what they had seen.

"She…she **accepted** his invitation to dance!" Joey gasped, "She's never done anything like this before!"

"Well I didn't expect her to do that either…" Tristan muttered in shock. Mai of course was filled with glee.

"Well, it's about time! She's finally found her perfect partner!" she said, "C'mon you guys the dance is about to start!" This jolted the two men out of their shock and they joined the other couples, Joey with Mai and Tristan with Serenity. Finally the dance began. The music was called "Banish Misfortune" and it was of a fast pace, fit for a jig. The couples in the dance were indeed a fantastic spectacle, but not as fantastic as Atemu and Tea. Tea, being a wonderful dancer herself, could not help but be amazed by Atemu's grace and energy as he danced with her. Everyone watching, which included Kuriboh and the other cute monsters, also marveled at the young man who had succeeded to invite the princess to dance with him. As he danced, Atemu could feel the knife blades assault the soles of his feet. Indeed, the pain was so great, he imagined that his feet were covered with multiple cuts that were bleeding profusely. But he did not care at all. He was dancing with his one true love, and that in itself had become one of the happiest moments of his life! Meanwhile, Mokuba was spending time with his brother when he saw the happy couple.

"Hey, Seto!" Mokuba shouted, "That looks like Princess Tea dancing out there!" Seto came to get a closer look, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw. There she was just like Mokuba had described it, and dancing with her was…

"No…!" Seto growled. But it was true. Atemu was dancing with his precious princess! How did he, a mere mute, manage to succeed where all the other men had failed? The jealously emerged once more, and slowly, that small seed of jealousy grew into rage. How dare he beat him to his princess! Eventually the dance concluded and Atemu bowed to the princess amidst the clapping and cheering of the guests.

"That was incredible Atemu!" Tea said happily, "From now on, you and only you will dance with me. You don't mind, do you?" Atemu shook his head no, and Tea laughed. "I thought so! I already look forward to dancing with you again!" And as the guests cheered, Atemu couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like you finally got some competition." Mokuba said to his big brother. Seto simply growled, and took the boy's hand.

"C'mon, we're leaving." He said gruffly, and the two of them departed to the gateway where their four dragons were waiting.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19: A Visit from the Sea

"Ahh, that was some good turkey leg you brought us Mako!" Great White said as he bit into the meat of the turkey drumstick. 

"It's too bad you couldn't stay long enough for the dance this time." said Ruby, "You would certainly have a blast there!" Mako sighed of out tiredness. It was already nighttime, and the moon was shining it brightest. Due to the ship in need of some minor repairs, he had to return early this time. Still, all the festivities have worn him out. 

"Well, I may have missed the main event this year," he said, "But at least I can take part next year. Not to mention the next upcoming festival." Mako looked up and saw a group of true merfolk sitting on a large rock from a distance. At first, he took no heed of the sight, but then…

"Hey, wait a minute." He said as he went to the side of the ship for a closer look. "Is that…?"

"Hey! It's our friends from the sea!" Ruby gasped, "But what are they doing up here at this time of the night?" Mako looked hard at the sight. Something's wrong.

"You guys wait for me while I get my rowboat ready," he ordered, "We'll have a chat with our friends over there."

* * *

Inside the castle, Atemu had just approached his room, with Kuriboh not far behind him. He smiled at the little monster, expressing his happiness. _I'm so glad you came to see me dance with the princess Kuriboh._ he thought. As if reading his mind, Kuriboh snuggled on his leg when he stood at the doorway. Yet as he walked through, Atemu couldn't help but wince. The pain stabbing his feet had finally taken its toll. Slowly he removed his boots, and then his white stockings, all the while gritting his teeth in pain each time he put one foot down to work with the other. He let out a silent breath once both feet were on the floor. As he started walking again, it so happened that Tea walked by and saw him wince the whole time.

"Are you all right Atemu?" she asked in concern. Atemu looked up and blushed upon seeing his beloved. "You look as though you were in pain." she said. His eyes grew wide, then became pensive. _So she saw me in my suffering._ he thought. _There's really no hiding from her when it comes to that._ And so he went toward her and wrote on her palm. "_You're right, my Lady, I am in pain._" Tea read aloud, "_My feet hurt to the point where it's becoming unbearable._" She gasped at this. "Oh, I understand! I know exactly how it feels to have sore feet. Sometimes **my** feet get sore if I haven't danced in a while, and it's almost like walking on red hot metal fragments." _Tell me about it._ he thought to himself. She took hold of the prince's hand and smiled. "Whenever that happens, I go down to beach at night and wade in the ocean. It really helps, because the water's cold enough to ease away the pain, or at least dull it. You should go down there, Atemu, go dip your feet in the sea. You'll feel better in no time!" Atemu smiled at his Lady's kind advice, and wrote on her palm again. "_Thank you so much! I think I'll go down there right now!_" she read. He took his boots into his hands, just in case there's a situation where he needs to put them back on, and walked out of his room, leaving Tea alone and blushing. _It's strange,_ she thought, _whenever I'm with him, I feel as though I were flying. I actually like this feeling. I wonder why?_

* * *

Atemu walked down the marble stairs leading to the beach. In the midst of the overwhelming pain, he could still manage to feel the small bits of the actual sensations of the ground he walks on. He savored those tiny sensations as a result, and this moment was no exception when his bare feet made contact with the soft grains of sand from the beach. _I can't wait to put my feet in the water. True, this pain would not fade, but at least I can dull it for a while. Tea is so kind to tell me about this remedy._ Putting down his boots to the side, Atemu stepped toward the gently crashing waves of the sea. The cold waters of the ocean did their work, soothing his aching, burning feet. He loved it here, with the ocean view worthy of a painting, even at night. Looking out at the vast watery blanket, he saw a familiar group of true merfolk—and his eyes widened in surprise. Kisara, Marik, Ishizu, Mahaado and Mana were all sitting on that rock, and some of them look ready to cry. And looking slightly to his left hand side, a rowboat was approaching them, followed by two familiar monsters. 

"Hello out there!" called Mako, and the group looked up in surprise.

"Mako," Ishizu said, "what are you doing out here?"

"I just saw you guys looking all depressed or something." Mako replied, "Is there anything wrong?" Ishizu bowed down her head.

"Atemu has gone missing." she said sadly, "Kisara, Mahaado and Mana knew what happened to him, but they won't tell me or my younger brother no matter how hard we tried. Not only that, they lost him as soon as they found him, and now they have no idea where he went."

"You couldn't find him anywhere in the sea?" asked Ruby.

"No, not at all." Ishizu sighed.

"Mother and Father are very worried about him, and Grandfather too. Have you seen him anywhere?" Kisara asked. 

"Ehh no, not really." Great White said, "Come to think of it, we haven't seen him in two full days either." Marik could no longer contain his anguish and he started bawling.

"ATEMU! I'M SORRY!" Marik wailed, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO CALL YOU UGLY! PLEASE COME BAAACK!" 

"There, there, Marik." Mahaado said, patting the sad scoundrel's back, "We all feel the same way." Atemu watched this sad scene unfold and tears flowed down his eyes. _I can't believe I did this to them!_ he thought. He started to look around, until finally he spied a large rock and picked it up. _At least they deserve to know where I am._ Using all of his strength, he threw the rock straight to a familiar target.

"WAAH! I didn't know I missed him so much!" Marik cried, "I EVEN MISS HAVING HIM THROW A ROCK ON MY HEAD!" And suddenly, right on cue, the rock bonked him right on the head…hard. "OW! WHO DID THAT?" Marik yelled in anger. He turned to the source of the rock and stared dumbfoundedly. The others did the same, and saw a strange young man waving at them. "Who in the sea is that human?" asked Marik.

"I've seen him before!" Mako exclaimed, "I saw him at the Spring Festival before I came back to the ship. It's really strange though. He looks awfully familiar." Ishizu gasped as she studied him.

"Now that you mention it, he looks a lot like Atemu." She said. Kisara's eyes widened however. Images of the transformation showed themselves in her mind, and she recognized the human immediately, as did Mahaado and Mana.

"Oh my goodness, that **is** Atemu!" Kisara shouted and began to swim towards him. 

"Atemu!" Mahaado shouted as he started swimming with Mana not far behind. 

"That's really Atemu?" Marik said in shock. "He looks so… different."

Mana paused for a moment and said, "Of course he looks different! He's changed into a human!" Ishizu and Marik gave wide eyes in shock.

"Atemu? A human? You've gotta be kidding me!" Marik said before he started swimming in full speed.

"Marik wait up!" Ishizu shouted as she followed everyone. 

"Full speed ahead!" Mako commanded his monster friends, and the two obeyed with an enthusiastic "Aye, aye Captain!" pushing and pulling the rowboat. Marik, of course, swam so fast that for once he outswam Kisara. Unfortunately for him, he was in the way of strong tidal wave, and it crashed right into him. Before he even knew it, he was unceremoniously washed ashore. Snapping out of the resulting dizziness, Marik soon found himself staring at a pair of feet. Slowly scanning upwards he eventually looked upon a face that is so different but so recognizable. 

"Atemu?" Marik asked. Atemu gave him the infamous smirk that Marik would never forget. Inside his mind, Marik's jaw dropped. It wasn't long before Mako reached the shore and got off to see the young man. Needless to say, he was quite surprised at what he saw.

"Is that really you Atemu?" Mako asked. Atemu gave a warm smile in reply. It didn't take long before Mako returned that smile. "You really look good as a human, you know that? And now there's no more looking down to talk to you." 

"I dunno about you," Marik said, staring at his older brother's new feet, "but no matter how many times I stare at them, I still think that human feet look pretty weird. Especially those…what do you call them again? Toes?" The smirk returned to Atemu's face, and while Marik was staring, he wiggled his toes. 

"AAAAAAAHHH! THEY'RE ALIVE!" Marik screamed as he recoiled in fear. In his clumsy rush to get away, he flopped face first into the shallow water, just as all the other merfolk reached the shore. 

"Atemu! We found you! Oh I missed you so much!" Kisara shouted as she came close. Atemu looked deep into her eyes and his misted with tears. He bent down and caught his baby sister in his warm embrace, and Kisara likewise remembered to be careful not to poison him by accident now that he's a human. While the others, including Marik, gathered around him, Atemu allowed Kisara to cry on his shoulder for a while. Once she became calm again he let go of his sister and allowed her to take a seat by him. 

"Atemu, how did you manage to change into a human?" Ishizu asked. Atemu did not answer, so Mahaado spoke up.

"He went under a transformation spell." he explained.

"A transformation spell?" Marik shouted. 

Kisara nodded. "Yes, it's true." she said, "I saw him undergo the process when I found him. It was so scary."

"Mahaado! Did you cast that spell on him or something?" Marik roared.

"No! That spell is not of my magic!" Mahaado replied, "It's so strong that even I could not undo it. So I went to find the source of it."

"Well did you find it?" asked Ishizu.

"Yes." Mahaado said, and his voice grew serious, "It was the work of Pegasus."

"Pegasus?" Kisara gasped in shock, "Atemu's trusted friend?"

"Yes. As it turned out, he was a sea mage just like myself." Mahaado explained, "After some convincing, he told me everything. What surprised me was that Atemu actually chose to become human out of his own free will." Then he looked up at the former merman and asked, "Is it true Atemu?" Atemu nodded in confirmation. Mahaado continued, "The spell that Pegasus cast ensured that once he becomes human, he will never change back into a merman ever again."

"And by the looks of it," Mana said, "he doesn't even want to change back." That was when Mahaado turned sad.

"However, if he fails to win the heart of a chosen human, his body would dissolve into foam on the sea, and he will die." Everyone gasped in horror at what they heard. "To make things even more difficult, Pegasus made the offer to sell his magic in exchange for a price that is an alternative to pearls. And Atemu accepted that offer."

"So what exactly is that alternative price?" Marik asked.

"It's the reason why Atemu is not joining us in this conversation, even though he wants to do it so badly right now." Mahaado replied. As the Dolphin Folk mage's words sank into his head, Marik's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh no…" he said as he turned to his transformed brother, "Atemu… you didn't!" Atemu expressed his sorrow and showed to his friends and family how even though his lips moved to speak, there was only silence. He placed a hand briefly on his lips, then patted his throat. When he finished, he lowered his hand and shook his head slowly. Everyone looked at him with shock as they realized that he was no longer able to speak. Ishizu was ready to burst into pearly tears, and Kisara looked as if he had taken his own spear and thrust it into her heart. Mako only stared in shock, as did his two trusted crewmates. And Marik? He glomped his brother, managing to avoid stinging him in the process, and started bawling again.

"WAAAAH! YOU DID!" Marik sobbed, "Why Bro? WHY?" 

"Atemu…" was all Ishizu could gasp as pearly tears ran down her cheeks. 

"It must be for love." Mako suddenly said in a serious tone. They all turned to look at him.

"For…love?" Kisara asked.

"Yes my little mermaid friend." Mako replied, "He did this for love, love for the Realm Above, love for it's people, love for all that is good in this world. And most importantly, love for Princess Tea. When I saw him in the Marketplace during the Festival, I did not recognize him, but one thing's for certain: Atemu was very happy, now that he is by the side of his princess." As he returned to his rowboat, Mako smiled. "In any case Atemu, I look forward to seeing you much more often now. Good luck winning Tea's heart." Atemu smiled at him in reply and the fisherman rowed began to row away. 

"We'll be visiting you often." Kisara said to her brother, "We'll even bring Grandfather with us if you like." Atemu shed tears of joy at his sister's considerate words. He did not want his parents to worry, least of all his grandfather. Atemu gave her a loving hug, to show how thankful he is. 

"Well, you need to go to sleep." Mana said, "Tomorrow is a brand new day. And maybe next time we meet, you can show us how you communicate and tell us what you did up here." The former merman gave a single nod in agreement. Soon the whole group went back into the ocean and began to swim homeward.

"We'll see you later Atemu!" Kisara called out. Atemu waved goodbye, and when they were out of sight, he let out a silent yawn. Turning toward the castle, he picked up his boots and headed to his room for a good night's sleep. Since his feet had been in the water, he was very pleased that the pain had become dull, if only for a moment.

* * *

Out at sea, Mahaado spoke to his friends. "We have all told him that this romance with the human would never work." He told them, "I sure hope he proves us all wrong. His life literally depends on it." The others nodded in agreement before they all dove down into the ocean. 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20: In Favor of a Sword

The next morning, Atemu went about what will become his daily routine, and once he dressed himself, boots and all, he went to meet with his new friends in the dining room for breakfast. Once there, he took a seat by his beloved. 

"Good morning Atemu." Tea said smiling. "I'm happy to see you up and about." Atemu smiled in return.

"Today is Sunday, so we're going to go to church this morning once we finish breakfast." Serenity said, "Then after that, most of us will be going to the training grounds to practice." 

"It's a good thing too. I'm still not a full fledged Dragon Knight yet, but I've really improved in my skill." said Joey. While Scorch did some cheerful roars in congratulating his friend, Atemu looked up in interest at the mention of the Dragon Knights. Immediately he took hold of Tea's hand and did some writing. 

"_These Dragon Knights you speak of sound amazing!_" Tea read, "_Can you tell me about them?_ Why of course, Atemu! The Dragon Knights are holy warriors who are followers of the Divine Dragon, Bahamut. Have you heard of him before?" Atemu shook his head, so Tea continued. "Well, he's a very benevolent dragon god. You'll hear more about him when we go to church. Would you like to come with us?" A smile soon made its way on to the face of the former merman and he nodded.

"Okay then." Tristan said, "It's almost time to go anyway. We don't want to be late."

* * *

Once they arrived at the temple, Atemu silently gasped in awe at the magnificence of its elegant design. The building was made from white marble, carved with coiling Blue Eyes White Dragon statues. The doorway itself was decorated with resting dragons, as if to welcome all those who come with hearts pure with goodness. As Tea led him inside, Atemu felt a sense of peace. And if the building itself was amazing enough, the group entered the main chapel. The stained glass windows showed depictions of a Blue Eyes with a milky nebula in the background, topped with a five-pointed star. A larger version of this image was right by the altar, and Atemu's eyes widened in surprise when he saw who was there.

"Why hello there my friends!" Shadi greeted them, "I'm happy to see that you came early." The High Priest was wearing his usual garb, but along with that he wore a Bishop's Cap with a five-pointed star on the front. 

"Good morning Shadi." Tea said. Shadi smiled when he took notice of a new face in the church. 

"Ah, Atemu! I see you decided to come with them. May the Divine Dragon bless you on this day." Atemu only smiled. When Mass began, Shadi began with a greeting to all the people who were present, which was many. There was a choir there, which the former merman found impressive. After the introduction, Shadi read a scripture from one of the Books of Bahamut. Then the choir sang the song of the day, and Atemu listened with pride for that choir, with their voices of soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass groups all blending in perfect harmony. Though it saddened him that he would not be able to express his gift for a while, he was nevertheless mesmerized. Soon the song ended and Shadi began his sermon. Now when Atemu went to go to church in the sea god's temple, he just dawdled idly due to the fact that they had nothing to do with his own personal dogma. Here, however, he paid very close attention to the words of this benevolent god from the Realm Above. The teachings of the Blue Eyes Platinum Dragon described helping the needy, battling the forces of evil, and protecting and preserving all that is good from such forces. It spoke of Tiamat, the Fiendish Five Head, and of Bahamut's battle with her and ultimately, his triumph over the queen of wicked dragons. Finally, a god whose dogma shares the Prince's own ideals of chivalry and righteousness! He could not wait to see those Dragon Knights for himself!

* * *

After Church was over, the group had arrived at the training grounds of the Dragon Knights. Many knights-in-training were testing their skills of battle there, practicing with their favored weapons. 

"A long time ago, an aspect of Tiamat terrorized the land," Joey said in explanation of the Order's origins, "That dragon burned down tons of villages and took many lives. But then, five warriors came and challenged the dragon. These five warriors were noble men and women riding dragons who opposed evil, the first Dragon Knights in existence. With Bahamut's aid, the five warriors vanquished the Fiendish Five's aspect with weapons and magic, and their noble deeds became legend. Soon after slaying that dragon, the five established the first Order of the Dragon Knights, for they knew that evil still plots against this world. And the rest is history." 

"Joey wants to join the Knights and help them in their efforts to bring peace." Tristan said, "He's even memorized the story you just heard, so he can tell it to those interested." Atemu nodded in understanding. Looking to the side, he saw several dragons watching in a corner. One of them, with black scales and red eyes flew toward them stopping right just in front of them.

"Hey girl! How are ya doin'!" Joey said to that dragon as he walked towards it. It's quite obvious that he was very pleased to see this dragon. "Oh, Atemu! This is Obsidian, and she's what you call a Red Eyes Black Dragon. She and I have been pals since who knows how long." The dragon, Obsidian, growled in a friendly greeting to the new stranger. Atemu was amazed at the size of that dragon, but gathered enough courage to pet her. Such smooth scales she had as his hand ran across the dragon's neck! 

"Ah, Mistress! We've been waiting for you and your friends!" said a sweet feminine voice that grabbed Tea's attention.

"Oh! Hello Lia!" she said to the elfin angel. Lia looked in Atemu's direction and smiled.

"I see that your friend has made a full recovery!" Lia said, "That's a big relief." Tea gently took hold of Atemu's arm.

"Atemu, this is Lia. She may be known as the Dark Witch, but she's very angelic." 

"Such a beautiful name! It's a pleasure to meet you Atemu!" Lia said before turning to the princess. "Are you ready for your practice Mistress?"

"Yep," Tea replied, "I'll go get my spear and we'll do a practice spar." As the princess ran off to get her spear, another warrior approached the group. This man had an orange helm on his head, with a belt, boots, armbands, and a cloak all of the same color. The rest of his clothes were colored blue and in his hand he held a sword with a fiery yellow orange blade. 

"Joseph! Ah, so you've come just in time!" the warrior said. 

"Blaze! Glad to see ya today!" Joey said cheerfully, "I just figured out how to channel my long axe with fire!"

"That's my boy! You've finally channeled your weapon's inner fire!" Blaze replied with pride. It was at that moment that he saw the former merman. "Why hello there young stranger. Many know me as the Flaming Swordsman, but my closest comrades call me Blaze." The sword began to flicker with magical fire. "I received my title from this blade, for I have always been fascinated with infusing humanoid weapons with the fires of dragons. Now would you be so kind as to tell me your name?" Luckily for Atemu, Joey spoke on his behalf.

"His name is Atemu. He's basically mute, so he won't be able to answer even if he wants to."

"I see." Blaze said, "Well then Silent One, welcome to the Dragon Knights' training grounds." Atemu did a respectful bow in reply, which made the Swordsman smile.

"He's a very polite young man." he said to Joey, "I sure hope he decides to join the order. He has great potential."

"Well, anyway, I'll be going to go practice. You can watch if you want." Joey said. The prince nodded and as the blonde left, Tea returned with a spear in her hand. Atemu was amazed at the clothes she changed into. She wore shining silver chain mail, with white gloves and boots. Plated armor padded her shoulders and covered her whole chest, and it neatly shaped around her breasts to add to the beauty of the armor. 

"Well Lia, I'm ready! Let's do this!" she said, and she and her partner went off to an open space. Tristan went elsewhere, leaving Atemu to watch his princess as she swung he spear ever so skillfully. _So my Lady is also a capable warrior!_ he thought with an amazed smile, _That's incredible!_ Looking around the arena, his eyes happened to spy four Blue Eyes White Dragons in the same corner as the other dragons. After staring at those dragons, Atemu's eyes widened in shock as he remembered a certain conversation.

"**Seto's one of the Dragon Knights, isn't he?" Serenity asked.**

"**Yeah, and he's the proud owner of four Blue Eyes White Dragons." Tristan replied.**

_These must be the four Blue Eyes White Dragons that Tristan was talking about!_ Atemu realized, and he glared. _This could only mean that Seto Kaiba is here too!_ With that in mind, he scanned the arena. Sure enough, there was Seto in the distance, aggressively thrusting his light cerulean sword. _With skill that good, he must mean business when he faces the enemy._ Atemu thought. It wasn't long before he spotted a lone sword, and with agonizing steps, he walked toward it and picked it up. It was a sword, quite different from a spear that's for sure. The blade, he knew, was longer than the hilt, in contrast to the long hilt and short blade of a spear. But what a beautiful weapon! The blade a bit large, yet it was as light as a feather in his hand, and the tip of the blade was topped with a single round sapphire. The hilt of the sword was decorated with the image of a dragon with wings spreading outward as if in flight. And in his hands, he could feel incredible power pulsing from it. Gripping the sword in one hand, he pointed it straight. _As much as I hate the pain, perhaps I can use it to my advantage for a while. Since my Lady is a strong woman, capable of defending herself, the best I can do is fight by her side, and protect her when she does get in danger._ He spied a straw dummy and began to shuffle his feet towards it. It was the first time he has ever used a weapon other than a spear, and he made some experimental thrusts. 

"Hello there!" he heard a voice call to him. Pausing for a moment, Atemu turned to see a strong young man coming toward him. He wore mostly an earthy brown, with light tan pants, brown boots, and a blue cloak draped on his shoulders. Green armor rests on his shoulders, and his straight light blonde hair topped with a green cap decorated with two blades. But what Atemu found the most fascinating was the man's ears, for although they were not finned, they were definitely long and pointed. The man smiled in greeting to him. "I see that you are trying out that sword in your hand. Is this the first time you have ever used something like this?" Atemu nodded. "Well if you want me to, I can teach you how to use it. My name is Karim, I'm the Celtic Guardian of the elven woods. As you can already tell, I am one of the elves who live there. The Dragon Knights are staunch allies and I spend much of my time with them to further their cause. What is your name, by the way?" Atemu did not answer, but instead he placed his fingers briefly on his lips and patted his throat quickly. Karim understood immediately. "Oh I see, you don't have a voice. Well that doesn't matter, I'd be more than happy to teach you the ways of the sword. I've been told that those who tend to be quiet tend to be better listeners. So are you willing?" Atemu nodded in enthusiasm. And so part of the afternoon sped by as Atemu learned the ways to handle the sword, from the thrusts and parries and even the proper way to swing it. Karim was very much impressed at how quickly the young man learned, for in minutes he was almost like a pro. His swordplay was so graceful to watch that it attracted the other Knights in training, including Princess Tea and her friends.

"Hey guys, check it out! I didn't know Atemu can use a sword that well!" Tea said excitedly. Seto, in the distance, heard the crowds of trainees talking, and when he turned around, imagine his shock at what he saw. "Him again?" he muttered to himself, "And he can use a sword? That damn bastard! Let's see how well he can fight when he faces me!" But he knew that now was not the time to challenge his rival for the heart of the princess, in spite of the jealous rage building inside of him. So for the moment, he ignored his surroundings and continued practicing. Which was a good thing, because Tea had ran towards the former merman clapping.

"You were incredible Atemu!" she shouted happily, "I've never knew you can use a sword so well!"

"Atemu? Oh, so that's his name! It is my instruction that made it possible, Your Highness. I'm impressed at how he learns so quickly!" Karim explained. Atemu only blushed. But soon his face beamed with the pride of a warrior. 

He wrote on Tea's palm, and Tea said for him in his silent words, "_Thank you, Celtic Guardian._" _Just as I am willing to give up my tail in favor of legs,_ he decided silently, _so too am I willing to give of my spear in favor of a sword._

* * *

Later that night, while everyone else was asleep, Atemu walked down to the beach in hopes of meeting up with his family and friends. And there they were, along with someone new in the group. He could not believe his eyes!

"Atemu! Over here!" Solomon called out. He had come with the others to see him! Atemu, tears in his eyes, ran over to the shore and there was much splashing and he and his grandfather embraced. "I was so worried about you!" the elderly merman said, "The others told me everything! Do you really want to be human for the rest of your life?" Atemu nodded. He took his finger and wrote in the sand. 

Kisara, as Atemu's surrogate voice, read, "_I would rather be human more than anything else._" 

"I see." Solomon said sadly, "Well what did you do today?" And so Atemu described going to church, and then going to the training grounds where his learned to use a sword for the first time. he even told in silence of the Order of Dragon Knights.

"Dragon Knights, eh?" Solomon said, "This sounds like and order fit for one as chivalrous as yourself. But who's going to protect you during all those battles, I wonder?" Atemu shrugged. To be honest, even he had no idea. That was when Mahaado made a startling suggestion.

"That's where we will come in. Mana and I will come to him and aid him in battle so we can help him protect his human princess and her world." he said.

"You and Mana?" Marik exclaimed, "But how? You guys can't go beyond the sea, otherwise the atmosphere of this world would kill ya!"

"Ever since I heard of the transformation spell from Pegasus, I got inspired. I making an experiment involving this sort of spell, only this one is not as dangerous as the one which Atemu is under. It's the first time I'll be putting this to use once we complete this experiment, so I'm not sure if it can work. But if it does, we'll become human as long as we desire." Atemu was shocked. His two best Dolphin Folk friends, humans? He could hardly imagine it. "We'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe from harm, even if it means we have to become human ourselves for a while. Please give us a chance Atemu!" Atemu hesitated for a moment, but finally he nodded his head to grant his friend his request. 

"Well we'll see you later then!" Mana replied, "It'll take us a while to get this spell done, but once we succeed, you'd barely recognize us when you see us!" And so the merfolk went on their way, and Atemu went returned to the castle. 


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21: The Dragon Race

A few days passed and Atemu's skill with the sword improved. Today, he and his two new friends Joey and Tristan went to see some of the dragons. Atemu was truly astonished at the number of dragons resting in one large room. Scorch was with them, and he was excited when he saw all those dragons just like him.

"Being a Dragon himself, Scorch always looks forward to visiting his place." Joey explained, "He's still a baby, so the first dragons he visits once he gets here are his parents and hatchmates." Atemu nodded in understanding even as Scorch flew towards his family. Obsidian was there too, and Joey went to pet her. "What's up Obsidian? You ready to take flight today?" The Red Eyes growled in approval. At the same time, Atemu looked around, and his eyes took notice of a dragon that he had not seen before in the training grounds. It was almost serpentine in form, red as the Prince's irises, with large wings and two mouths on its head, the smaller mouth on top, but never opening. On its forehead was a blue sphere, and the dragon looked at him, showing him no menace in spite of its fearsome appearance. Somehow, he felt drawn to this dragon, and he reached out a hand to touch it. And touch it he did. Incredible power surged from this dragon, and he could feel it pulse in his hand. It actually feels good. Tristan, upon laying eyes on the sight, watched in amazement at the scene.

"Joey, come here!" Tristan called out. Joey came, and he was just as amazed.

"Hey, it's that new dragon in the Order!" he said, and rushed towards his silent friend. "Hey, Atemu! This dragon has just arrived recently, but he never has chosen his rider yet. Yet somehow, he seems to like you above anyone else." Atemu just stared at his friend. The dragon chose him? How lucky can he get?

"That's cool you guys!" Tristan beamed, "So what are you going to name him?" Both Tristan and Joey face faulted when they realized what was said.

"Aww man! Where's Tea when you need her? I can read what he writes too, but he only writes on **her** palm!" Joey whined. Atemu had a look of pity on his face. It was true, whenever he had something to say, he writes on the palm of his beloved, and no one else. Well, today will be the change of that, he decided. Atemu took hold of Joey's hand, who looked up from his groping. The Prince then turned the hand palm upwards and using his pointing finger, he drew a spiral onto that palm. Joey was astonished, not to mention confused at what he witnessed. "A-Atemu? Why did you do that?" he asked. Atemu only started writing on his palm in response. Tristan gasped as he managed to figure it out.

"Hey, Joey! Atemu's starting to write his words on **your** palm now!" he exclaimed, "He can communicate with us even when Tea's not around!" 

"Wha! Why didn't you say so Tristan?" Joey shouted and he turned towards the former merman. "Atemu, slow down a bit will ya? I missed what you're trying to say earlier, so can you write it again a bit slower?" Atemu gave a single nod in understanding and slowed his pace for his friend. Joey, following the example of Princess Tea, read aloud Atemu's words. "_I drew that spiral on to your palm as a symbol of my trust in you. It's because you are my friend, and I trust you enough to write on your palm like this. Like Tea, I want you to have the honor of using your voice to say the very words I write. You don't mind becoming my surrogate voice for a while, do you?_" As Joey finished speaking, Atemu stopped his writing for a moment and smiled. The blonde began to laugh cheerfully. "No, I don't mind being your surrogate voice at all!" Joey said, "I think it's an honor to speak your words. Anyway, as we were saying earlier, what are you going to name this dragon?" Atemu wrote on the palm again, spelling out the name. "Slifer? Hey, that's not a bad name! Okay, Slifer it is!" The dragon, now known as Slifer, growled in appreciation. 

"Well, well, well, looks like the new dragon finally chose its rider…" said a voice from behind the boys. Surprised at the sound, they turned around to see a young man standing before them. He had black hair that was held up in a ponytail, and green eyes painted decoratively with black makeup. A single earring with a dice was hanging on his left ear. He wore a red and black headband, a red vest, dull yellow pants, and boots that fit just below his knees. He smirked playfully at the group. "I admit, I'm surprised that the rider is voiceless, but who cares? That dragon seemed to have made a really good choice, if you know what I mean." he said, "The name's Duke Delvin, by the way."

"Uh, pleased to meet you." Joey said, "This young man over here is named Atemu. He's really good with the sword, believe it or not, and he even beat me in a slingshot game."

"Oh, a master game player, huh?" Duke replied, "And a warrior to boot. Maybe he's got what it takes to compete in tomorrow's dragon race." Atemu looked at the dice man with intense curiosity. "You haven't heard of the dragon races? There's intense racing action, and each dragon and rider fly three laps around a long course, and the dragon who crosses the finish line after the third lap is the winner. I take part of these races all the time, but so far, the only person who wins is Seto Kaiba." Upon hearing the name of that rude duelist, Atemu's eyes widened for a bit, then gave a glare. "Oh, so you got a grudge against him? I've heard a rumor that Seto's found himself a rival, and it looks like you're it. As far as I know, he's going to participate in this race too. I even heard that he's challenging you to race him tomorrow." Atemu takes Joey's hand again and writes furiously. 

"_Duke, I accept Seto's challenge! I swear I'll beat him in this dragon race!_" Joey read. Joey and Tristan were a bit shocked at what was written. 

"Are you serious Atemu!" Tristan shouted, "No one has ever beaten Seto in the dragon races!"

"Well, he beat me in the slingshot target game, didn't he?" Joey said, "I think he's got what it takes!" Atemu smirked in reply, and wrote again, with Joey speaking as he did so.

"_Is Tea going to be there tomorrow too?_"

"Why sure Atemu," Duke replied, she's going to watch the race this time. Why do you ask?" All Atemu did was blush at the comment, earning a mischievous smirk from the dice man. "Well, I wish you the best of luck! I'll see you at the race!" Duke said. As he walked away, Tristan turned toward the other two.

"Well, I guess this is a good time to practice riding Slifer, eh?" Tristan said. Atemu nodded in agreement and skillfully began to mount the red dragon. As Slifer spread his wings, another voice called out to him, one that the Prince recognized immediately.

"Hey! HEY! WAIT FOR ME! I WANT A RIDE TOO!" the voice called out. Atemu turned to find that, lo and behold, Mako Tsunami was running towards him! The other two looked around and saw him as well.

"Whoa! The Freaky Fish Guy cometh!" Joey said grinning.

"I am NOT a 'Freaky Fish Guy'!" Mako fumed, "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Heheheheh, just teasing, Mako." Joey said. Atemu could not believe what he was witnessing_. Mako, Joey, and Tristan actually __**know**__ each other?_ he thought_, So that's how he knows about my Lady!_

"What's up Mako!" Tristan greeted, "What brings you here?"

"Well I was going to check out the dragons when I saw your friend over there." Mako said, pointing to Atemu, "I've sailed the seas since I was a small lad, but I've never sailed the skies before." 

Joey looked towards the Prince and said, "Atemu, Mako here wants to ride with you. Is that all right?" The former merman nodded.

"All right, lemme up over here my friend!" Mako shouted as he heaved himself up on Slifer's back. Slifer once again spread his wings and the two friends pushed the larger doors open. Atemu skillfully urged the dragon forward and he took a running start before he took off into the sky. Atemu smiled with deep excitement once they were in the air. He was flying again, only this time for real! For a brief moment, he looked downward and saw the land below him! Such a wonderful view it was! _Now I know what those bird animals see every day!_ Atemu thought happily. Mako saw the view too and he whooped in enthusiasm.

"I feel like a seagull soaring in the sky!" he said. It didn't take long before Mako gave the Prince a knowing smile. "When I came in to see the dragons, I overheard that conversation about the dragon race. I heard you were going to take part in order to beat Seto Kaiba. Is that true?" Atemu nodded. "I have faith in you my friend. I know you'll beat him in that race. And besides, this is but another moment to shine in the eyes of your princess." Mako grinned at the fact that the very mention of the princess made his friend blush even further. "Ha ha ha, I'll be rooting for you tomorrow!" Mako replied with a grin.

* * *

The next day, the arena was set for the main dragon race. Tea was among those in the audience and she was filled with anticipation. 

"Wow! Look at all of those dragons!" Serenity said in excitement.

"Yeah, it's too bad Seto's gonna win, as usual." Mai said dully.

"Don't count on it this time Mai." Joey said, "Because there's a new competitor in this race." 

"A new competitor?" Tea said in surprise, "Who?"

Meanwhile down in the arena, Seto had just arrived riding one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons. That dragon happened to be his favorite, which he lovingly named Azure. She looked up at her master, and saw that he was quite impatient… and for a very good reason. _C'mon, where is he?_ he thought. Just when the last of his patience was wearing thin, the audience began to cheer loudly. Seto looked around and saw Atemu on Slifer's back, flying towards the starting line. 

"Atemu?" Tea exclaimed, "Atemu's actually competing?" Once he and his dragon got into their positions, Atemu glared at the blue eyed knight. Seto simply smirked.

"So Atemu, you accepted my challenge." he said, "You're going down, just like all the others." Atemu's glare intensified. 

"You'll be eating your own words soon Seto Kaiba," Duke shouted from behind the two rivals as he came up riding on a dragon he dubbed 'Curse of Dragon'. He, along with five other dragon riders, took his place at the starting line. Once all eight dragons were in position, on dragon on the sidelines breathed out a flare, signaling that the race has started. The dragons began running or slithering to gain enough wind for flight, but while most of the dragons took flight, with Seto in the early lead, Atemu found himself lagging behind. _C'mon Slifer, you can do this!_ he thought. As if understanding his thoughts, Slifer made greater effort and soon they were off. 

"Yeah, Seto!" Mokuba cheered to his brother in the audience, "Leave them all in the dust!" At the same time in the audience, Atemu's friends, Mako included, let out their cheers. Even the cute little monsters were there. Kuriboh, Happy Lover, Thunder Kid and Scorch were all bouncing up and down to cheer on their new friend. 

"Come on Atemu!" Joey shouted, "You can do this! Bring down that sleaze!"

"Go for it my friend," Mako shouted, "We believe in you!"

"Hey, are you sure Atemu is going to beat Seto?" Mai said, "He's far in last place, you know."

"Mai, he'll beat him," Tristan said, "We saw him fly yesterday and he has what it takes! Don't doubt him now!" 

"Go for it Slifer!" Serenity shouted in excitement. But only Tea was silent. She was amazed at how Atemu was able to ride a dragon in just a single day. It did not take long before she realized she was blushing at the very thought of him. _Why am I blushing?_ she thought suddenly, _What is it about Atemu that is making me do that?_ In the racecourse, the dragons were flying high, and the competition was intense. Some of the riders urged their dragons to slam into each other in an effort to move to the next ranking. All the while, Atemu was quickly gaining on them. _All right, let's give it all we got!_ he thought, and bursting with speed Slifer surged ahead, passing the dragon ahead to take seventh place. They were in sixth place by the time they finished the first lap, but their speed did not lower. To the astonishment of the audience, he quickly advanced to fifth place, then fourth, then third by the time they finished the second lap and entered their third and final leg. By now, Seto was finally in his view, as was Duke who was trying to gain on him. _Here I come, Seto!_ Atemu thought, and he sped right past Duke to take second place, much to the dice man's surprise. After the initial shock, Duke smirked to himself. 

"Whoa, he's good!" he muttered. Atemu continued to gain on Seto, inching onward until he was neck in neck at first. Seto was shocked when he saw that his voiceless rival had caught up with him, and his rage became known.

"Hey! Out of my way! **I'm** the winner of this race!" he roared, and he nudged at Azure to bull rush Slifer on with her side. Even as the dragon did her body check, Atemu did not flinch. _Two can play at that game!_ he thought. He encouraged Slifer to return the bull rush, pushing Azure away for a moment. Azure rammed on Slifer yet again, and Seto yelled out "There is no way I will lose to the likes of you! I'm the champion!" Atemu, filled with determination, did not hesitate to urge Slifer on to another attack. The two dragons pushed against each other, even as they flew forward. The finish line was in their distant view and both dragons continued to push. _Now Slifer!_ Atemu commanded in his head. As if he understood, Slifer gathered up all of his strength and bashed Azure off balance, and the Blue Eyes started falling, with Seto screaming in shock. Seto quickly made an effort to keep himself and his dragon from crashing. He maneuvered her into the flying position again, but by the time they were in the air again, three other dragons had passed by him. He encouraged his favorite Blue Eyes to speed up, but it was too late. Atemu and Slifer had both reached the finish line, in first place! Atemu punched his fist upward in victorious joy, for he had done what no one else can do: He had beaten Seto in the dragon race! Duke came behind him in second place, but in spite of that, he smiled. The crowd cheered wildly at this come-from-behind victory, but his friends cheered the loudest. And to Atemu's delight, even Tea was clapping her hands with a smile. Seto, on the other hand, was not so happy and neither was Mokuba, who was shocked by the whole thing. "Oh NO!" Seto muttered to himself, slapping his own forehead as he and Azure crossed the finish line in a measly fifth place. The dragons soon made their landing, and Atemu was the first to dismount, ignoring the stabbing pain once his feet touched the ground. He turned to see Duke approaching him, with a playful smirk across his face.

"That was amazing, Atemu!" he said, "It's about time Seto met his match, and that, in my opinion, is quite refreshing!" Duke held out his hand. "So how about we become friends? You've earned it!" Atemu smirked, and he took hold of Duke's hand, and a handshake sealed their new friendship. The two of them looked up to see Seto dismounting with a look of anger in his face. He approached the two of them, half walking and half stomping, and glared at the former merman. 

"Damn you! Of all people who would oppose me, I had to lose to **you**! A mere mute!" Seto growled softly. "You think you're so good at everything you do. Well let me tell you something: Even if you beat me just about every game you can think of, even if you take away my spotlight, I'll still get the girl in the end. You just wait and see." And with that, he walked off, ignoring the glare Atemu made at him.

"What a sore loser!" Duke huffed. "Atemu, don't listen to that sorry excuse of an insult. He only means to piss you off." Atemu gave a single nod just as Tea and the others came rushing by. Kuriboh jumped high and landed on Atemu's shoulder, snuggling immediately. 

"Atemu! You won! You were amazing out there!" Tea said as she glomped on him. Although he blushed at her very touch, Atemu smiled. The others did not hesitate to congratulate him, but he was lost in the eyes of his Lady. For that moment, she was all that mattered to him.

Unseen by all that was present, a figure in red armor surveyed the victory scene. His lips curled in a sinister smirk. "So, it looks like someone has beaten Seto Kaiba… and that victorious young man has the aura of a budding Dragon Knight himself." he said, "This would be a good time to 'introduce' him to my own order of knights. The timing couldn't be more perfect!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22: A Romantic Moment

Later that night, Atemu was staring out at the balcony in his room. After that victory in the dragon race, his fame would certainly spread. He still remembered seeing Tea's smile soon after he won. Even now his heart felt like flying. 

"Hey, Atemu!" a voice called out to him, startling him out of his reverie. It was Joey, and Tristan was with him. "What's up? You look all distracted." Atemu became rather sheepish and blushed at the spot. He took Joey's hand, almost shaking a bit, and wrote his words. "_It's nothing, Joey._" Joey read, "_I was just thinking of things, that's all._"

"Oh really?" Tristan said, "What were you thinking about?" Again, Atemu blushed. Suddenly Joey gave a smirking grin at his silent friend, chuckling as he did so.

"Oh, I get what you're thinking." Joey said, "You're in love with Princess Tea, aren't you?" Atemu blushed in shock and quickly wrote again. "_Yes, I __**am**__ in love with the princess! How did you know?_ Well, I'd say it's just a lucky guess." 

"Don't worry, Atemu." Tristan assured, "We won't tell anyone yet. In the meantime, is there anything we can do to help?" The Prince looked at the kind eyes of his friends. Then, blushing again, he wrote on Joey's palm.

Joey read aloud, "_Well, I want to do something special with my Lady, just the two of us. But I don't really know what I should do. Do you have any suggestions?_" Joey thought for a moment before he replied, "Well, you can always take her out on a nice dinner. Mmmm, dinner… I'm hungry just thinking about it."

"Not again!" Tristan mumbled, "You know, you really got food on the brain Joey."

"Oh and you don't?" Joey responded. 

"What's your point?" Tristan asked in annoyance. Atemu just laughed silently at the silly scene. "Anyway, back to the subject… hmmm. Oh, I got an idea! Atemu, you know Karim, don't you?" Atemu nodded. "And you know he's a resident of the elven woods, right?" Another nod followed. "Well, there's a place in those woods that has view of a forest lake and it's famous for its population of glowing fairy creatures that fly at nighttime. I know you haven't been there before, but Tea hasn't been there either. So maybe this would be a good time for both of you to experience this." Atemu brightened up at the thought of Tristan's suggestion. Spending time with the princess in that part of the woods is perfect! He wrote on Joey's palm yet again.

"_Tristan, that's an excellent idea! Do you have a map to this place?_" Joey read. 

"Sure," Tristan said, taking a detailed map of the elven woods out of the pockets of a backpack lying on the floor. ""I'll even get Karim to point out the direction of that place, so you can concentrate on surprising Tea." A grateful smile spread across Atemu's face and he patted on Tristan's shoulder with one hand while shaking hands in gratitude with the other. 

"You know Tristan, this doesn't sound so bad." Joey said, "Okay, let's put this plan into motion shall we?"

* * *

The following night, the royal coach had parked just outside of the elven woods, where Karim called home. Atemu stepped out first, then gently took Tea's hand and led her out of the coach. Tea was once again in her usual green dress, as beautiful as ever. Kuriboh and Happy Lover were not far behind, for they both want to watch such a cute couple. 

"Why, thank you Atemu." Tea giggled, "Even in silence you are a quite a gentleman." Atemu just smiled as the two approached the forest. As they did so, he saw two elves in front of them. One elf had blonde hair, with violet designs painted on her face. She wore a blue dress, blue gloves and blue boots, all of which are lined with white fluff. The other elf had dark red hair, with a similar design painted on her face, but colored green. She also wore a dress and a pair of boots similar to the first elf, only it was violet in color and had no fluffy lining, nor did she have gloves. "That elf girl in blue over there is Lora, and the other elf in violet is Kachua, Lora's twin sister." Tea explained. Atemu gave a look of confusion at this, so Tea explained further, "These elves really are twins. They're fraternal twins, as a matter of fact. You'll rarely see them apart from each other, and many people refer to them as the Gemini Elves. It looks like they're on guard duty tonight." The two elves looked up at the couple and smiled at them.

"Ah, welcome Your Highness!" Kachua greeted, "I'm delighted to see that you came to the home of the elves on a beautiful night such as this!"

"As I am." Lora said, "And it looks like the Silent One has accompanied you. It's so cute to see you together like this!" Both Tea and Atemu blushed at this compliment and the two elves giggled in delight. "Well, come into the forest. Karim is waiting for you." Lora said, and the Gemini Elves parted to reveal the woody entrance to the interior of the forest. Once the couple entered, Atemu was amazed at the scenery. Many of the buildings, if not all of them, were blended so well with the towering trees that he thought they had been grown instead of built. And that added to the beauty of it all. 

"Isn't this place amazing?" Tea asked. "The elves are known to be caretakers of the natural world. They always strive to live in harmony with it. This is but one of the things I seek to protect in my kingdom, if not the whole world." It was not long before they came in the sight of Karim, along another elf. Unlike the other elves, her skin was a misty blue hue. She had sandy blonde hair, and she dressed in a light green robe. Her expressions were peaceful, and Atemu felt his heart at ease at the sight. 

"Welcome my friends." Karim greeted, "I am honored by your presence. Oh, this young lady here is Mystra. She is a mystic with incredible healing powers, and her defense magic has protected this forest for years." Mystra bowed down to the couple.

"Tis a pleasure to meet both of you." she said. "I hear there is a special place that you're planning to go to."

"Well, Atemu didn't reveal where we're going, but I'm really excited nonetheless." Tea admitted.

"It's a good thing he didn't tell you, then." Karim said, "There is a wonderful surprise waiting for you." Atemu smiled and went behind his Lady. He gently covered her eyes, which disoriented her at first, but then Karim said to her, "He'll only remove his hands from your eyes only when you get there, so until then, don't peek."

"Oh, uh, okay." Tea said. Karim took the opportunity to get close to the former merman.

"The fairies' lake is over there." Karim whispered. Atemu nodded in understanding and proceeded to guide the princess to their destination. The two elves looked at the two and smiled.

"My pupil is very fond of the princess, isn't he." Karim said. 

Mystra smiled, and said to him, "Indeed he is. I have high hopes that they will be together soon."

* * *

It was a short distance, but it seemed like a long time as they traveled. But once there, Atemu couldn't help but gasp in wonder the sight. Tea took notice that they had stopped, and she could feel the cool moist air around her.

"Now can I open my eyes?" Tea asked. Atemu smiled, and slowly he allowed his hands to uncover her eyes. They were closed, but soon they opened up. The princess gasped in amazement at what she saw. There in front of them was a beautiful lake, and everywhere they looked there were hundreds of glowing balls of light, each one a color of the rainbow. "Atemu… it's so beautiful!" Kuriboh and Happy Lover agreed, for they were chasing the glowing balls in a playful manner. Atemu took the princess' hand and wrote lovingly and Tea read, "_I'm happy that you like this place. This is my first time here too, and already I love it._" Some of those glowing balls came closer to the Prince and his Lady. As it turned out, the glowing balls were actually tiny fairies whose skin and hair was the same color as their glow. They flew to them, curious about the newcomers that had come to see them. One fairy went close enough to Tea's face, before resting in her hands. "Heeheehee, why hello there!" she giggled. Another fairy hovered in front of Atemu, who lifted his own hand as if to invite it. The fairy took hold of his finger, showing its fluttering wings to him. Atemu could not help but smile with the wonder of a small child. Other fairies danced around them, and Tea giggled some more. The two fairies soon joined with the others, and Atemu started writing again. "_Why don't we go and sit where we can look at this view all we want?_ Okay Atemu, how about under the shade of that large tree over there?" Tea said. The two of them went over to that ancient towering tree, and took a seat beside each other. Kuriboh, having had his fun, went over to take a rest from all of that activity. Happy Lover flew down and the two playmates snuggled each other, happy to be best friends. Atemu and Tea sat there, staring at the view for a while. Finally, Tea spoke up. "Atemu, what you did today was really special. I'll never forget the moment." The former merman smiled. "I think this is a good time to get to know each other some more." she said, "I happen to be an only child. My mother died when I was seven years old, and I never see my father, the King, since he's so busy with diplomacy. But he's a kind and gentle man, and a wise ruler of this kingdom, and he always managed to keep in contact with me, so in spite of the distance, I love him, and he loves me too. It is through his guidance that I am able to handle ruling this kingdom as wisely as he does. We both love this world after all, and we both want to protect it." Atemu, astonished by Tea's background, took up writing on her palm again. "_I can see from whom you inherited you kind demeanor. Your bond is very strong._ Thank you Atemu! Just as much, my father loves my mother just as deeply, even after she passed away. As a matter of fact, he and Mother actually married for love. Neither of them cared about bloodlines or gender or anything like that, and so when I was born, I was a product of their love. He wants me to marry for love, just as he did, and that's why in spite of my independence, I am searching for my special someone. I sure hope I find him soon. It would make me so happy when I do." Even as he looked upon her as she showed a sense of bliss, Atemu was saddened by her comment. Does she not know that her special someone is right in front of her? "So that's most of my story." Tea said cheerfully, "Would you like to tell me a bit about yourself, Atemu?" Atemu blushed, but he smiled and started writing. "_I'd be more than happy to tell you about myself! Now where should I start…?_" Atemu paused in thought, before he wrote again. "_You may not believe this, but my own father happens to be a king too._" He could have sworn that Tea's eyes widened even as she said this for him. "Really?" she said excitedly, "Then that must mean you're an actual prince! That it so cool! I didn't know we have that much in common!" But Atemu was not finished, for he continued writing. "_Of course, I'm not the only prince in my family. I have three younger siblings, two sisters and a brother. I especially adore the baby of the family. Her name is Kisara, and she's the explorer. She also has the most beautiful voice in her kingdom. Whenever the opportunity arises, she does not hesitate to sing. When I still had a voice, I would occasionally sing duets with her._ Wow, so you were able to sing too?" Atemu nodded. "_I did it so rarely though, and I sang solo even more rarely than that. But even so, I am wonderful with speeches and with poems. That's why I feel so sad now, because I don't have a voice to do those things anymore._" Tea looked at him with sad eyes. "So that's why you're so sad when we watched that minstrel at the Spring Festival. You no longer had the ability to do what he did." Atemu bowed his head in sorrow. "Oh, Atemu. Please don't cry." She said as she lifted his head. "You remember what I told you on that day, do you?" Atemu slowly nodded. "_That I would have a voice again someday, right?_ That's right, Atemu, and I still believe it will happen. So don't dwell on the sorrow of that loss." Atemu managed to give a small smile, and that made Tea happy. "Well then, can you tell me more about your family?" Atemu was happy to oblige. "_I have a grandfather too. He used to tell me all those wonderful stories when I was small. Of course, during those days, I still had a home. Since I was the eldest of my royal family, I was the one to inherit the throne. But I didn't really want to be next king of that kingdom. I wanted to serve the cause of good, like a true man of justice and virtue. Because of my inheritance, I felt so… imprisoned._ You wanted freedom, didn't you? So you can follow your own compass of chivalry." Atemu nodded. "_That's one of the reasons I left my old home on my own free will, and thus became homeless by the time you found me._ Well, what is the other reason? _That, I will not yet reveal. There is much more about myself I want to reveal to you, but I feel that now is not the time to do so. I don't feel ready._" There was a long pause between the two of them when Atemu finished writing. Tea once again gave her sweet smile. "It's all right Atemu. You can take your time on that. Even in silence, you are the most honest man I have ever met." It is true, for Atemu is, like all paragons of chivalry, known for his vast honesty. He had been given that compliment to all the merfolk who knew of him, but this was the first time a human has ever told him that. And since it was Tea who gave him that compliment, Atemu felt like he was the happiest man in the world. He slowly took the princess in his arms, wrapping her in a warm loving embrace. Tea allowed herself to press against his body, as let his arms tighten a bit, and somehow, she felt a familiar sense of true security. She loved that feeling that Atemu gave her, and she blushed at the very thought of it. _That warm feeling…_ she thought in recognition, _I've felt this before. But from where?_

_Oh my Lady,_ Atemu thought at the same time, _if only I can speak. If only my voice was never exchanged for that potion instead of the usual payment of pearls in the first place. That way, I can tell you everything. Of how I saved you that day during the storm, and how it was because of my undying love for you that I did it. Come to think of it, confessing my love to you is much harder than I thought it was, even in silence. Somehow, I feel so nervous about it, so… scared. How in the world can I tell you that I love you? I don't really know what to do to show it._ Atemu almost felt like crying right at this moment. But he felt his Lady's warm body press against his, and he felt comfort. Tea was definitely worth losing his voice for the moment. And besides, once he wins her love, he will get his voice back, just like she said he would. By that time, she had fallen asleep in his arms, and so Atemu decided to do the same. The two of them spent the rest of the night in this way, drifting to dreamland in a peaceful heavenly bliss in each other's embrace.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23: Atemu vs. Seto; The Duel is on!

"It's finished." Mahaado said, as he held out his latest work: a transformation spell in the shape of a smooth crystal orb.

"Are you sure you want us to do this Master?" Mana asked, a bit worried about what they will soon take part in, "Who knows what we might face up there!" Mahaado just gave his apprentice a simple loving smile.

"We're doing this for our friend, Mana," he said, "If a battle should rear its head, we have to be there to protect him as much as we can." 

Mana began to hug her master, almost on the verge of pearly tears. "But what if you get hurt Mahaado? What should I do? I'm starting to get scared." The mage cupped a webbed hand on her chin, lifting it so that the two of them are looking at each other. 

"Your magic has become so strong Mana. You now have the strength to protect me as well as the Prince. Just as I will protect you." Before Mana could react, Mahaado's lips met with hers in a passionate kiss. Somehow, that kiss revitalized her confidence in herself, her faith soaring thanks to the touch of pure love coming from her master and lover. When they broke from the kiss, Mana wiped away her pearly tears. "Are you ready to do this?" Mahaado asked. Mana nodded with a simple "Mm-hmm." The two Dolphin Folk lovers each spread arms length apart, their arms open towards each other, and after closing their eyes, Mahaado began the spell. The orb began to float in between them and it started glowing as it did so. The glow began to grow brighter a bit, then suddenly the orb burst to thousands of tiny harmless pieces of light. The light soon enveloped the two mages, and the transformation began to take hold…

* * *

Morning arrived and practice in the training grounds had just started. Seto looked around even as he honed his skill with the sword. "That's strange," he muttered to himself, "my precious princess is not here. I wonder where she went." Soon he started smirking. "Oh well, at least that mute Atemu's not here either." Unfortunately for Seto, he spoke too soon, as he was about to find out. Karim came in through the door and right behind him was Atemu and an armored Tea, hand in hand, and as happy as they can be. 

"Karim!" Blaze greeted, "It's good to see that you made it!" It didn't take long before the Flame Swordsman took notice of the happy couple. "Oh Your Highness. I see that you had a good time with Atemu, didn't you?" Seto jerked at the very sound of his rival's name. He turned around slowly. And there was Atemu, happily by the side of the princess. Joey was coming toward them as well and he was grinning.

"Hey! You came back!" he said, "It's about time! So, how was your night in the forest?"

"It was wonderful!" she said cheerfully, "We both actually spent the night by the fairies' lake. Of course, Karim had to come and wake us so we could come here." Seto could not believe what he was hearing. _My princess was with HIM? THE WHOLE TIME?_ he thought as once again jealous rage built up in his heart. _WHY, THAT MUTE BASTARD! He's going to pay for this!_ Seto stomped over to the couple and drew his sword. 

"Huh? You again?" Joey growled.

"Out of my way, Mutt!" Seto barked as he shoved Joey to the side. In response, Joey growled even more. Seto swung his sword at Atemu, the tip of the blade pointing in the direction of the former merman's neck. Tea gasped in brief horror as Seto pointed his sword in Atemu's direction. Boy, did that blue eyed knight look pissed. Realizing that Seto was in front of him, Atemu immediately glared at him in response. "Atemu I heard what you did with my precious princess, and to tell you the truth, I'm sick of it! I challenge you to a duel!" Seto declared. Atemu eyes widened with an angry sort of shock. "Let's see how well you can beat me with the skill of the sword." Seto continued. Atemu felt his own anger rising, and he quickly but gently grabbed on to Tea's hand and wrote down his words.

"_I accept your challenge, Seto!_" Tea read, "_Show me what you got!_" Seto smirked at this.

"Good, now let's go. Onward to the arena!"

* * *

The stage was set for the one on one battle, and there were many spectators watching. 

"Boy, Seto's lost it! I can't believe he actually challenged Atemu again!" Duke said to the others, who were among those watching.

"Oh, he'll do just about anything to mend his wounded pride, especially after he got trounced in the dragon races." Mai replied.

"He's one sore loser if I've ever seen one." Duke said.

"I can believe you on that note." Tristan said, and Thunder Kid grunted in agreement.

"Seto's got a lot of experience in battle." Serenity said, "I can't help but worry about Atemu."

"Hey, he's already kicked Seto's butt once." Joey said to his younger sister, with Scorch roaring and taunting Seto in the background, "I'm sure he'll do it again!" Joey looked over to see Tea staring at the two warriors preparing for battle. 

"Atemu…" she said in a slight whisper. Somehow, just saying his name is making her blush. _My heart is beating so quickly when I think of him nowadays._ she thought. _It's never happened like this before, not even with Seto. What is it about Atemu that makes me feel that way?_ Happy Lover and Kuriboh couldn't help but wonder what the princess was thinking. In the arena, the two rivals had taken their ready positions. They each held out their swords toward each other.

"You've got the guts to beat me in the dragon race, but I'll have my revenge soon enough. No one has ever beaten me in a sword duel, and you'll be no exception." Seto taunted. Atemu glared in response. "Tea is watching us even as I speak," Seto continued, "but don't you get any ideas. The girl is **mine**, you understand?" _You're the one who doesn't understand Seto,_ Atemu thought, _Tea and I are meant to be together!_ Shadi was there in between the two, acting as the judge of the duel.

"The rules are simple." Shadi explained, "You will each use your skill of the sword and any magic to engage in this battle of honor. The one who receives three cuts from their opponent's sword loses the duel. I want this to be a fair fight, gentlemen, so dirty tricks like poison blades and the like are not allowed. Do you both understand?" A simple nod followed from each side and Shadi moved away to the safety of the sidelines. "Best of luck to both of you. Now let the duel begin!" And with that, Seto began to charge at his rival. Luckily, Atemu raised his sword to block the attack. Just as quickly, he made his counterattack, attempting to push the opposing sword away. Although his feet stung with intense pain as he shuffled about, Atemu did not allow it to distract him once. Steel clashed against each other, and so far, they had yet to reach their mark. Then Seto made a sideswipe, which Atemu gracefully dodged. While the blue eyed knight was just beginning to recover from the miss, Atemu took his chance and thrust his sword. It struck Seto on his shoulder, drawing blood from its first cut in spite of the armor. Seto winced, immediately placing a hand on his wounded shoulder. 

"Not bad," Seto growled, "but you can do better than that." Quickly removing his hand, Seto once again lunged at his rival. But Atemu was prepared, and once again steel clashed against each other. Every thrust on either side was blocked, and to the spectators, it was like a graceful dance, tinged with danger. Atemu was especially graceful with his every movement. Seto managed to maneuver him to a wall, hoping that he would not be able to get away from his sword. Atemu noticed this, however, just as Seto thrust his sword toward him. Just in time, Atemu jumped high, out of the way of the sword, and in mid-air he did a back flip so that his feet touched the wall. Then he crouched at launched himself off the wall and soared above his opponent. Twisting himself so that his back was facing Seto, Atemu then landed gracefully on to his hands and did several back-flips before landing on his feet, immediately taking his fighting stance after he did so.

"Amazing!" Karim gasped, "It's like Atemu is able to fight in three dimensions!"

"He's really something!" Blaze said. Back in the arena, Seto merely grunted.

"Hn, show-off." Seto said. He went charging right towards Atemu yet again. Seto took a giant leap with the intention of striking, but just as he was about to make contact, Atemu dodged yet again, and struck the blue eyed knight on the side with a counterattack. And Seto landed on to the ground in a not-so-graceful sort of way, clutching his stomach in pain. 

"SETO!" Mokuba shouted from the stands, worried about his brother. Seto growled in menace. One more cut, and he'll lose the duel. "Your skill with the sword is more sharp than I thought…" Seto grumbled as he got to his feet, "Time to put my magic to good use." Taking up his sword, Seto concentrated hard. Before long, the blade began glow a bright blue and crackle with electricity. With a swing, Seto thrust the sword with three words: "WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!" A beam of white lightning tinged with blue surged from the blade right towards Atemu. He moved out of the way to dodge the attack, but this time, he was not quick enough. The magical energy struck its mark, slitting Atemu's left thigh in the process. Blood squirted out of the large open wound, and for a moment Atemu stumbled. _Such power!_ Atemu thought, _I didn't see that coming at all. I mustn't let my guard down._ He heard mocking laughter coming from his opponent, and he glared at him. "Now that's more like it!" Seto said smirking, "Try getting through this, mute!" He swung his sword in an arc, and magical energy in the shape of a crescent flew towards the former merman. He managed to rush out of the way, before it got a chance to hit him. "Where did all that fight go? Quit running away!" Seto taunted as he launched another magical attack, which Atemu dodged. Shadi watched this turn of events in the duel and frowned.

"The magic that was the gift of Bahamut is being fueled with Seto's jealousy and rage, if his foolish arrogance wasn't bad enough." Shadi said to himself, "It won't be long before his ridiculously over-inflated ego becomes his downfall." The battle raged on, and as Atemu dodged another lightning beam, Seto saw his chance and charged. With a single stroke, he slashed Atemu's right arm, giving him the second cut. The match was now even once again. 

"ATEMU!" Tea shouted in worry.

"Hang in there, Atemu!" Joey shouted. Atemu stood there, clutching his injured arm as blood trickled between his fingers. 

"How does it feel to know that you'll be tasting the sting of defeat, just like all the others before you?" Seto said, "Face it, you're no match for me, a mighty Dragon Knight of renown." The blue eyed knight walked toward Atemu, and the Prince's glare grew more intense. Leaning towards him, Seto whispered, "I know you love Princess Tea, Atemu, more than anything. But what makes you think she actually loves you back?" Atemu's eyes widened in shock. "What makes you think she loves a voiceless man like yourself?" Seto mocked, "I highly doubt that this is the case." For a brief moment, Atemu felt pain assaulting his heart. Is it possible that his Lady loves…? But then he shook his head and the glare returned. No, of course not! Why would she love someone as arrogant as Seto? Seto had since backed away in preparation for what he thinks would be the finishing blow of the duel. "Let me do the honors of putting you out of your misery." he said. But he did not count on Atemu's revitalized determination. When Seto did his magical lightning attack, Atemu charged at him. Seto didn't have the time to be shocked as Atemu raised his sword to block the attack with no second thought. He swung the blade, and the magic flew right back at its caster. Quickly, Seto raised his sword to block his own magic, but the strength of that magic was so powerful that even though he was unharmed, he nevertheless got knocked off of his feet and onto the ground. Atemu walked calmly towards the downed knight, and paused for a moment just as he lifted his head towards him. Then Atemu, smirking, swung his sword and slashed Seto's cheek. A small river of blood trickled downward, and Seto glared like never before. At that moment Shadi spoke up.

"The third cut has been made!" he announced, "The victor of this duel is Atemu!" The spectators cheered in celebration of the Prince's victory.

"He did it!" Duke shouted, "He actually did it!" Tea was smiling too, blushing as she watched him survey the arena with a smirk. However the cheerful atmosphere didn't last long. Suddenly, a menacing roar filled the air, and the side of the arena crashed down. When the dust cleared, a five-headed dragon stood, and it let out a terrible roar. On its back was a knight in red armor, with brown eyes and white spiky hair, and he gave a sinister grin.

"Seem like I came just in time." he said and he looked at Atemu. "Well met. I am Bakura, leader of the Claws of Tiamat!" Atemu had never before hear of an order of knights known as the Claws of Tiamat, but his righteous fury came alive, for he has learned of this wicked goddess of evil dragons, the nemesis of Bahamut. And now, at this very moment, he has come face to face with the first sort of true evil in the Realm Above. 


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24: Finding Faith in Bahamut

Seto had taken notice of this knight in red armor, and his rage towards the wicked man almost matched that of his rival. 

"Bakura!" he shouted, "So you finally decided to show yourself!" Seto pointed his sword toward Bakura, who just smirked. "You and your cronies have terrorized this kingdom for too long! The time has come to take you down!" Seto roared angrily. A menacing chuckle can be heard from Bakura's lips.

"Ah yes, I've heard of you. Dragon Knight Seto Kaiba, the proud owner of four Blue Eyes White Dragons." Bakura said, "Do you seriously think your dragons are any match to me? They're just a bunch of overgrown lizards to me."

"Don't you dare insult my companions!" Seto screamed. 

"Well come and get me then." Bakura taunted, "I'd like to see your battle skills for myself, not that I'll be impressed." Seto growled with even more anger.

"Azure! Azrael! Djibril! Ibris! Come to my aid!" Seto commanded and the four Blue Eyes flew to their master and friend. As Seto mounted Azure and took to flying, Bakura raised his slender rapier.

"Attack!" he commanded his minions, "Bring down those puny Dragon Knights!" And in a flash, several Claws of Tiamat went flying on their own dragons, intent on slaughter. While Seto was trying to fight off as many Claws as he can, Tea quickly reacted to the situation.

"Mai, you, Duke, and Serenity get everyone to safety!" Tea shouted.

"But what about you?" Mai asked.

"I'm going to stay and fight!" Tea replied.

"Tristan and I are going to help!" Joey declared, "We'll keep her safe, so don't worry about us!"

"Just be careful!" Serenity said as she and Mai got ready to leave.

"Since I won't be joining the battle this time, my Harpy Lady friends will help you in my place, if you don't mind." Mai suggested.

"Thanks Mai!" Joey said, "Obsidian! Scorch! Let's go roast some followers of the Fiendish Five!" Obsidian went flying in from outside of the arena and Joey quickly mounted and took to flight. Scorch was not far behind, and it did not take long before three women came. All of them were a cross between beautiful women and birds of prey. Joey smirked, for he knew them as the Harpy Lady Sisters, the friends of his girlfriend.

"C'mon Thunder Kid!" Tristan shouted, "Let's go on Thunder Dragon and give them a shock of their lives." Before long, a green snakelike dragon flew in, and they too mounted.

"Don't forget me, Lia, and Seiyaru!" Tea shouted. 

"We're here to help, Mistress!" Lia shouted as she and a pink birdlike dragon flew down to the aid of the princess. As Atemu watched his friends going into battle, he could not help but feel left out. _There has to be a way I can help them._ he thought, _But how?_ A familiar roar echoed in reply to his silent question. He looked up just in time to see Slifer circling him. With a smile, Atemu quickly mounted and flew by the side of his friends and his beloved. 

"Atemu! I'm glad you came to help!" Tea said, and Atemu smiled in response. "As you can see, the Claws of Tiamat are followers of Tiamat, and their wickedness knows no boundaries. They live to destroy, enslave, even kill innocent lives. It breaks my heart and enrages me that they would do such things. That's why as a Dragon Knight myself, I seek to protect the weak and innocent from the likes of **them**." Atemu nodded in agreement. When evil rears its ugly head, he will certainly do the same. 

"All right Thunder Kid," Tristan shouted, "Time to live up to your name!" Thunder Kid's antennas crackled with electricity and he shot a large beam of lightning, shocking some of Bakura's minions in the process. 

"Now it's my turn!" Joey shouted, taking up his long axe, "Give it all you got Obsidian! INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" The Red Eyes Black Dragon opened her mouth and a large blast of red and black fire shot out, burning several more enemy knights. Even Scorch took his chance at breathing out fireballs at the enemy, and he got many direct hits. Atemu took his sword and Tea her spear, and together they slashed more minions and their dragons. Lia cast a light spell with her spear and blinded one evil dragon, while a Harpy Lady with long red hair went about slicing off the rider's head. Meanwhile, Seto and his four dragons were approaching Bakura with full speed. 

"WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!" Seto commanded, and the four Blue Eyes breathed beams of white lightning, the same energy that channeled his sword. Some of the Claws of Tiamat were hit by the blast, but Bakura himself blocked it effortlessly.

"You call that an attack?" Bakura said, "Don't make me laugh!"

"Then let's see you stand up against this!" Seto shouted and he raised his sword in the air. "Azrael, Djibril, Ibris, combine into one entity and smite your foes!" The three dragons came together, and soon they were surrounded in a blinding light. When that light faded, the three had become one, a single dragon with three heads. "Behold, my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Seto shouted and he pointed his sword toward the knight in red armor. "Attack him now! NEUTRON BLAST!" The Dragon did as commanded, breathing energy beams of three different colors and it surged toward Bakura and his five-headed dragon. The resulting blast was enough to take down anything. Seto smirked at the result, but when the smoke cleared, his smirk faded. For Bakura and his dragon were still standing, and he was laughing.

"Is that the best you can do?" Bakura mocked, and that mocking fueled Seto's anger even further. So he attempted to use his own magic to take down the wicked knight. But to his dismay, his magical lightning was thin on his blade, as though it had lost its strength. _What the--_ Seto thought, _This hasn't happened before!_

"Heh heh heh, seem like the mighty Dragon Knight lost his touch." Bakura said. The knight in red armor turned to the side to see Mokuba standing in shock over what he had seen. "Well, well, what have we here? Fiendish Five-Head, attack the kid!" 

"MOKUBA!" Seto shouted in horror as the five-headed dragon took aim and breathed out an energy attack from each head. Mokuba was frozen with fear on the spot. But just as the five beams were about to hit the boy, Seto and Azure flew in and took the blow. Seto screamed as he and Azure fell to the ground near Mokuba. Mokuba ran as quickly as he can to his fallen brother.

"Seto!" he shouted, "Seto, are you all right?" Seto slowly rose to his knees.

"I'm just fine," Seto replied, "But why is my magic suddenly getting weak? I just don't get it." He looked up just in time to see Atemu finishing off some of Bakura's minions and approaching him. Seto's jealous rage showed itself yet again. Bakura saw the Prince too, and he gave a sinister grin.

"You must be the one that beat that knight in the dragon race, aren't you?" Bakura said, "I saw the whole thing, you got guts. But do you have what it takes to take down my Fiendish Five Head?" Atemu glared in response. _Slifer!_ Atemu thought_, Show him your power!_ Slifer opened his lower mouth and let out a fiery blast that was enough to injure the five-headed dragon and make it stumble. Bakura was stunned, but he continued to smirk.

"Whoa, didn't see that coming." Bakura mused, "Your dragon's really powerful. But wait until the Fiendish Five Head makes its counterattack! In fact, don't wait!" On cue, the dragon's heads each let out their beams of energy one by one. Atemu and Slifer managed to dodge the attacks, but he saw that one beam hit Seiyaru on the wing. Seiyaru screeched in agony and started to fall. Atemu was horrified to see that Tea was knocked off the birdlike dragon's back, and started to fall farther down, her screams echoing. Atemu urged Slifer to fly to the falling princess. Just in time, he caught her in his arms, and Slifer caught Seiyaru. 

"Atemu…!" Tea gasped, and blushed at the Prince's smile. 

"Isn't that cute?" Bakura chuckled mockingly, "A chivalrous man rescues a damsel in distress. Too bad it's for nothing! Hit them again Fiendish Five Head!" The five-headed dragon obeyed, unleashing its breath weapons. Atemu did not have time to react, and he and Tea braced themselves for the terrible blow. The blow never came. Surprised, they looked up. Imagine their surprise when they saw a magic shield surrounding them, blocking the attack. But who conjured up that shield? That was when Atemu saw Bakura looking up in anger. And so Atemu also looked up. His eyes widened at what he saw. There, above them were two people. One was wearing violet armor, a robe hanging under it, and he was holding a green staff. The other was a girl with blonde hair, and she was wearing pink and blue robes and armor with a short skirt and blue boots laced with pink designs. Her wand had a golden yellow spiral shape, like the shell of a snail. But what surprised the former merman was that he recognized those two. _Mahaado? Mana?_ he thought. 

"We thought you could use some help!" Mana said cheerfully. Atemu could not believe his eyes. His Dolphin Folk friends had come to him, as humans! 

"Wow, thank you so much!" Tea said, though she was curious as to who those two people are.

"Who the hell are you?" demanded Bakura in a rage. Apparently he did not appreciate being denied of his conquest.

"To all I oppose," Mahaado replied, "I am the Dark Magician."

"And I'm the Dark Magician Girl!" Mana piped up, sticking her tongue out at the knight in red armor.

"Grrr, Claws, attack those two, NOW!" Bakura ordered, and more knights flew to the scene. 

"You know what to do, Mana!" Mahaado said.

"Right!" Mana replied and she raised her wand. "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" was her command and she swung her wand right at the Claws and a sphere of dark magical energy surged forward, striking them in full force. 

"You've gotten stronger." Mahaado said, proud of his apprentice and lover. He concentrated his attention on another group of Bakura's minions, who were coming toward him in full speed.

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Mahaado shouted and a larger ball of magical energy shot out of his staff, striking down several more Claws of Tiamat. 

"Let's get him while he's distracted!" Tea said, and Atemu nodded. Atemu urged Slifer to start flying, and they charged toward their enemy. At the last minute, however, Bakura saw them and conjured a cluster of sharp knives, which he threw right towards them! Tea quickly raised her spear to block the attack, but it was no good. Both she and Atemu got slashed by the flurry of knives. 

"Tea! Atemu!" Joey and Tristan shouted in horror, and Mahaado and Mana stared with widened eyes filled with worry. It was a miracle that the Prince and princess were both still standing, in spite of all the bleeding. Atemu couldn't help but look at his Lady with worry. He couldn't stand to see her in so much pain.

"Ha! You think you can beat me?" Bakura taunted with a sinister grin, "Time to bring you down!" And the five-headed dragon made its attack, and the beams of energy hit Atemu, knocking him off of Slifer.

"ATEMU!" Tea screamed as he fell and all of his friends stared in shock to see him in danger. The Prince, still in the air, found himself thinking of a certain god. _Divine Dragon, Bahamut,_ he thought, _this is the first time I have ever prayed to you, but if you can hear my thoughts, please… give me your aid!_ Suddenly, Atemu found himself surrounded by a light blue glow. The glow immediately healed his wounds, and then took shape. Knee high boots covered his feet, with the tips of the boots decorated with metal blades in the appearance of claws. Then came the armbands, the surface of which seemed like metallic scales. Soon the breastplate and the shoulder armor came, with metallic wings spreading on its back. Finally, a simple crown adorned Atemu's forehead, and now he truly appeared to be the knight that he showed himself to be. He flew upward to the astonished princess, intent on facing Bakura.

"What the heck?" Bakura shouted, shocked at the sudden turn of events. Tea, on the other hand, found herself inspired. 

"Joey! You have the long axe!" she shouted, "Help me take down that dragon!"

"No problem, Tea!" Joey shouted in reply and jumped off of Obsidian and swung his spear-like axe, slashing the dragon's heart before landing gracefully on the back of his Red Eyes. With newfound strength, Tea leaped toward the five-headed dragon, and she thrust her spear in between the eyes of the middle head.

As the dragon roared in pain, Tea shouted, "Atemu! Now's your chance!" Atemu clutched his sword and thought, _Bahamut, hear the words that I could not say and grant your power unto my blade!_ Soon the sword began to crackle with white and blue electricity, and Atemu mentally gave the command: _WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!_ Immediately the white lightning surged forth from the blade and Tea moved out of the way just in time. The magical lightning struck the dragon and it thrashed about, tossing off an unharmed Bakura before falling dead. Bakura managed to land on another dragon, but his fury knew no bounds. 

"I knew you had the potential to become a Dragon Knight!" he bellowed, "I'll be back! And once I get rid of you and the other knights, this kingdom will finally be mine!" And with that, he and the other remaining Claws of Tiamat fled. 

"Atemu you did it!" Joey cheered.

"No, Joey," Tea said, "**We** did it."

"Tea's right Joey." Tristan said, "We're a team! And Atemu's now officially part of it!"

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Mana called out, smiling. "We helped out too you know!"

"And I'm happy you did!" Tea said, "Thanks again for coming to our aid! Would be kind enough to tell me your names?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Mahaado said politely, "My name is Mahaado, and this young lady by me is Mana. You may not realize this, but we actually know Atemu. I happen to be a childhood friend of his, and Mana met him through me."

"That's awesome!" Tea said, "Please tell me about it sometime! And you too, Atemu! I'm already excited to get to know you some more!" Atemu smiled at her, blushing_. Thank you Blue Eyes Platinum Dragon,_ Atemu thought as the armor faded from his body, _You not only helped me in this crisis, but you also made me a true believer._

* * *

The following day was filled with great rejoicing, for word of the brave deeds that thwarted the Claws of Tiamat have spread. The Church of Bahamut saw it as a special occasion indeed, for this was the day when Atemu would be baptized and knighted. Atemu has truly become a convert to the faith, and what better way to show it than to take part in this ceremony. Ignoring the terrible pain in his feet, he strides down the path leading to the altar, his steps filled with energy and grace. Shadi was waiting for him, as was Princess Tea, who had once again donned her usual dress. 

"Welcome Atemu," Shadi said, "during your first battle against the Claws of Tiamat, Bahamut has found favor in you. It his through his aid that you have succeeded in driving back the forces of evil, working with your allies in slaying the Fiendish Five Head, which had been a menace to Aria for many years. Your courage and determination, your sense of justice and virtue, and your willingness to protect those you love at the risk of your own life, all of that has made you worthy in the eyes of the Divine Dragon. Are you willing to further your cause of goodness in his name?" Atemu nodded, and humbly bent down in one knee in newfound reverence to the god watching over the Realm Above. Shadi took a small ceremonial bowl and scooped up some holy water from an elegant basin nearby. Taking it toward Atemu, he held a free hand over the former merman's head. "These holy waters cleanse those whose hearts are filled with goodness, washing away the forces of evil that seek to stain it with their corruption from within." He slowly pours the holy water over Atemu's head, saying, "I baptize you in the name of the Blue Eyes Platinum Dragon." Atemu loved the feeling of pure water soaking his head, as it reminded him of what used to be his home. And he could feel himself become more pure in the eyes of his new patron god. "And now, you are a true member of the church. We welcome you here with open arms." It was then that Tea stepped forward with a sword in her hand. 

"The virtues that graced your heart have earned you the blessing of Bahamut, and he chose you to become one of his holy warriors. Do you accept his call?" Again Atemu nodded, blushing at his beloved's voice. Tea raised the sword, with the flat side facing down on to Atemu's shoulder. "In the name of the Blue Eyes Platinum Dragon, I knight thee Sir Atemu, Dragon Knight of Exalted Action. Because it is action that speaks louder than words when good deeds are involved, even if there are no words to be said." She gently tapped the flat side of the sword onto Atemu's shoulders, one after the other. And then, she said to him, "Rise now, Dragon Knight, and be acknowledged by all who served as a witness here today!" The masses in the church cheered as Atemu rose up to face his Lady, a smile filled with pride to serve the cause of good. Only one person was not celebrating however. And that person was none other than Seto Kaiba. _Damn that mute bastard!_ Seto thought in a silent rage, _First he succeeds in getting my precious princess to dance with him, then he beats me in the dragon race and defeats me in a one on one duel! And soon after the duel, he's defeated the leader of the Claws of Tiamat, while I couldn't do anything! Now he joins the Dragon Knights, with __**my**__ precious princess knighting him to make it possible! The nerve of him to do that with her!_ Seto looked at Mokuba, and inwardly he was disgusted at the fact that his little brother was cheering. _Oh great, even my brother likes him! Well, I'll show him! No matter how many accomplishments he performs, I'll win the heart of my precious princess first!_ Then unseen by the masses, Seto stormed out of the church, taking Mokuba, who had since become concerned about his brother's grudge against a now fellow Dragon Knight. In other words, that grudge worried him now, and he didn't want anyone to get hurt because of it. 


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25: Revelations, the Gift, and Sudden Sorrow

Two days have passed since Atemu's baptism and knighting. Atemu just had a silent discussion with his Dark Magician friends and with Mako, who had heard of Atemu's successful battle against an evil force. Together, they decided that the time has come to reveal the Prince's origins to a certain pair of human men, who Atemu came to know as the greatest of friends. Tristan and Joey were outside the castle, chatting with each other and Atemu approached, with his three other friends behind him.

"Hey Atemu, what's up?" Joey greeted in his usual cheerfulness. Atemu smiled at him, and Mahaado stepped forward.

"Greetings Joseph." He said, bowing politely. Then he looked at the two men right in the eye, and said in a gentle voice, "I want to thank you and Tristan for being such good friends to Atemu."

"Hey, no problem Mahaado." Tristan replied sheepishly.

"I'm glad to know that you trust each other," Mako said in a serious tone, "because, well, there's something that Atemu has been meaning to 'tell' you." Joey and Tristan were surprised at hearing this from the fisherman, and Atemu stepped up to write on Joey's palm.

"_Meet me at the beach at nighttime,_" Joey read"_I want you to meet my family._" Joey looked at his friend, obviously dumbfounded. "Uhh, okay. We'll go." was all that Joey said. 

"Good," Mana said, "We'll see you then!" 

* * *

Nighttime came quickly and the group arrived at the beach, and Atemu started writing.

"_They'll be here soon._" Joey read, "_Mako had already told them of the plans, and they agreed to come. Look closely once they arrive, you might be surprised to find out what they are._" Atemu then walked toward the crashing waves and waited. Joey and Tristan watched, expecting to see a small boat or something like that. Boy they were in for a big surprise, just like Atemu silently described. Four Deep Dwellers approached the shore, swimming as fast as their tails can carry them. They called their friend's name, and Atemu embraced them, tears in his eyes.

"Are those…" Tristan gasped, "…true merfolk?"

"They're Deep Dwellers, aren't they? I've heard about Deep Dwellers, but I never actually thought that I would see some in the flesh." Joey said in amazement.

"Yes, my friends, these are Deep Dwellers." Mako explained, "the four of them you see is Atemu's birth family." The eyes of Joey and Tristan widened in surprise at this revelation.

"**They're **his birth family?" Joey exclaimed, "But how is he possibly related to them in **that** way?" Atemu looked up at his friends and pointed to them. The elder merman, Solomon, looked up towards them.

"Ah, so you must be my grandson's new friends." Solomon said, and he gave a small smile. "Pleased to meet you."

"Uhh hi," Joey said, suddenly nervous, "it's nice to meet you too, uhhh…"

"Please, call me Solomon." said the elder merman, and then he pointed out to the three younger Deep Dwellers, "These are my other three grandchildren, Ishizu, Marik, and Kisara." Each one nodded in acknowledgement at the mention of their names. 

"Hello to you too." Tristan said, "But I'm still confused. How is it possible that you are related to Atemu by blood?" That was when Mahaado stepped forward.

"To answer your question," he said, "I believe there is something Mana and I must show you." The two men were confused at first, but then Mahaado and Mana started glowing. They floated over the sea, and to the amazement of the two humans, the armor and clothes on their bodies vanished, and just as quickly their cream colored skin returned to their usual dolphin patterns, their fingers became webbed, and their legs became tails once again. Mahaado and Mana, now Dolphin Folk, dove into the water, then each resurfaced.

"Ahh, it feels so good to be in the water again!" Mana sighed happily.

"You…you…" Joey stammered, shocked at what he had seen, "You're true merfolk too? Why didn't you tell me from the start?" 

"If people saw us in our human forms, who would believe us if we told them?" Mahaado reasoned, "But that's beside the point. What Atemu was trying to tell you is that he is not born as a human." Again, eye became wide with surprise and the two men looked at their best friend. Atemu almost seemed to have a look of shame at the fact at what he used to be.

"Atemu…" Joey gasped, "You mean to say that you…" before Joey could finish, Atemu wrote the answer to his question. "_Yes, I used to be a merman. A Deep Dweller like my Grandfather and my siblings, specifically. But now I have become the human you see now, and unlike Mahaado and Mana, I will never change back again._" Joey was stunned. His friend was once a merman? Atemu had his head bowed downward, as if he couldn't bear to look at him after what he revealed. "Atemu," Joey said, placing his hands on Atemu's shoulders, "There's nothing to be ashamed about. Besides, I think Deep Dwellers look really cool." Atemu was amazed at what he heard, as was Marik.

"Really?" Marik said, hopeful, "You mean… we're not ugly to you?"

"Nope, not at all!" Joey replied. Marik was beaming soon after that. "Of course, Atemu, you're as good a person either way. I have a question though. How did you manage to become a human?"

"He got some help from a Sea Mage named Pegasus." Kisara explained, "He and Pegasus had been friends for a long time, so Pegasus cast a spell to change him into a human." Kisara's expression saddened. "This magic comes with a price, however. It usually cost tons of pearls, but Atemu was offered to pay an alternative price: his own voice." Joey and Tristan gasped.

"So **that's** why you were mute!" Tristan said, and Atemu nodded. 

"Even though he'll never be a merman again, the magic wouldn't last." Ishizu explained, "The only way he can remain human permanently is by winning the heart of the one he loves the most."

"And that's Tea, right?" Tristan asked. Ishizu gave a single nod. The two men looked at Atemu, who was blushing at that moment.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Joey asked, "Since you can't change back into a merman and all, we want to help you stay a human, permanently. And not only that, we want to bring you and Tea together. I can tell just by looking that you really love her." Atemu gave a small smile, but that smile faded as soon as he started writing on his palm. "_Thank you Joey. I want to tell her how much I love her, but I feel so nervous. And since I don't have a voice, I don't know how to confess to her how I feel._ Hmmm, why not give her a gift?" Atemu was a bit confused at Joey's suggestion. How can a gift win his Lady's heart?

"Of course!" Tristan said, "Joey, that's a great idea!"

"It is?" Joey said dumbly.

But Tristan continued, "Atemu, you could give her something that is a token of your love, and you can have the words you wanted to say written on its container. That way, Tea will know how you feel about her!" Atemu's eyes widened, and then he smiled, for he felt inspired. At last, a way to tell her how he feels! 

"_Guys, that's a wonderful solution!_" Joey read, "_Thank you, both of you! I'll go to the Marketplace right away!_" And Atemu started running. "Wait up buddy! We wanna come too!" Joey yelled out, and he and Tristan started running after him. Solomon sighed.

"I only hope their plan works Mahaado." He said.

"So do I." Mahaado replied. _I need to tell them about what happens if Atemu fails._ Mahaado thought gravely, _What they don't know might kill him._

* * *

The Marketplace was bustling with lights and people, as many shops were eager to sell their wares. What should be the perfect gift for Tea? Atemu thought as he looked around, They're all good, but I want to give her something special. He soon spied a jewelry stand, and saw a certain little something displayed on the back. His smile grew at the sight, and he nudged Joey.

"Huh? Oh, did you find something?" Joey asked, and Atemu nodded and pointed to the perfect gift. "Whoa!" Joey said in awe, "Hey Tristan, take a look at this!" Tristan came, and he too was awed by that certain something. 

"That's perfect!" he gasped, "Atemu, you really got good taste! Let's go get it!" Atemu nodded and they approached the shopkeeper. 

"Why hello there!" the shopkeeper, a middle aged woman, said sweetly, "You must be Atemu, Dragon Knight of Exalted Action! To what do I owe this honor?" 

"Atemu want to buy one of your jewels, miss." Joey explained, "It's going to be a gift for Princess Tea." The shopkeeper clapped her hands in delight.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" she said, "Which one do you have in mind?" Atemu pointed out that certain something, and the shopkeeper's smile grew brighter. "Oh! I can already imagine the Princess wearing this! You made an excellent choice!" she took the item off of the stand and that was when Tristan spoke.

"Can you customize the container? Atemu wants to make it special."

"Definitely!" said the shopkeeper, "Atemu, write down the words you want to say on this parchment." Atemu took the pen and he wrote down those special words. He poured his heart into those words, hoping that Tea would understand how he feels about her. "Awww, that's so sweet!" the shopkeeper said, "I'll transfer it to the container right away and you'll be all set!" As she went to work, Joey place a hand on Atemu's shoulder.

"I wish you luck buddy," he said, "Sweep her off her feet!" Atemu nodded in thanks to a dear friend. 

* * *

The moon was shining high in the sky, illuminating the gardens. Seto was wandering around there, silently plotting ways to win the heart of the princess. It so happened that he looked up and saw said princess sitting on a bench, looking at the stars. _She's alone. This could only mean…Atemu's not with her this time!_ Seto thought, _Finally, now's my chance to be with her for a change!_ The blue eyed knight made his approach, and when he was close enough, Tea looked up at him.

"Oh, hey Seto." she said.

"Hello Tea." Seto replied, "You don't mind if I sit by you, do you?"

"Uh, no, not at all." Tea said, "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Seto said as he took his seat by the princess, "I just wanted to look at the stars with you for a while, that's all." She looked up at the stars again, but she blushed as her mind was elsewhere. More and more, she was thinking about one certain young man. _Atemu…_ was all she could voice in her head.

Meanwhile, Atemu was walking alone in the gardens with his special gift in his hand. He looked at the small rectangle box and blushed. _My Lady, I hope you accept this token of love from me,_ he thought, _and I hope you feel the same way I feel for you._ He smiled at the thought of this, and he continued walking. All he needed to do now is to find his beloved. So far, there was no luck, but then he looked around a corner, and saw her. _Ah, there she is!_ he thought happily. But just as he came half way down the path, he stopped dead in his tracks and his smile faded. Sitting right by her was his rival, Seto Kaiba. An expression of shock spread across his face. _What is Seto doing here?_ Atemu thought, but as he stood, Seto began a conversation with Tea. 

"Tea, are you thinking of someone right now?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tea said, blushing. 

"Well, who is it?" Seto asked, getting closer. Atemu was dismayed. He watched, wondering what her response would be.

"I…" Tea stuttered, "I… uh…" She then shook her head. "Oh, I don't know!"

"You don't have to hide it from me," Seto replied, "You know that **I** am your special someone." Tea looked at him, a blush still covering her face. To Atemu, that action was the knife that thrust into his heart. He remembered all the things that Seto said to him. 

"…**what makes you think she actually loves you back? What makes you think she loves a voiceless man like yourself? I highly doubt that this is the case."**

Tears began to flow down his eyes. _This…_ he thought_, This can't be! No…!_

"You still can't answer?" Seto said, and he cupped Tea's chin in his hand, "Well, maybe this might help you remember." Slowly he leaned towards her, eyes closed, his lips ready to meet with her own. Yet for some reason, she did not want that potential kiss, and she felt like resisting. But Atemu did not realize this, and his heart shattered more and more. _No!_ Atemu thought, shaking his head. When Seto's trembling lips were about to meet with Tea's, Atemu could bear it no longer. _NOOO!_ The tears cascaded, and everything seemed to slow down as he turned around to run, dropping his gift in the process. The clattering sound of the gift landing on the ground and the sound of Atemu's feet as he ran grabbed Tea's attention, and she looked up before Seto even got the chance to kiss her. Seto, denied the kiss, also looked up in time to see Atemu run away. Just before he disappeared behind the corner, Tea could see that Atemu was crying, and her own heart felt a stab of pain to see him that way. She pushed Seto away from her. 

"I'm sorry Seto," she said, "I need more time to think." And she stood up and began to walk away.

"Take your time, my sweet." Seto said, "I'll be waiting for the answer." As Tea was leaving, Seto began to smirk. _So Atemu saw me with my precious princess._ he thought, _Looks like getting him out of the picture will be easier than I thought._ Tea continued to walk until she reached the little rectangle box that was lying unharmed on the floor. She picked it up, and she was stunned. The box was a golden yellow color, but what really amazed her were the words that were lovingly written on it.

For Tea, my Special Someone. With undying love, from Atemu.

Tea blushed an even deeper pink, and she slowly opened the box. Inside was a beautiful pendant, with golf chains holding pink and white pearls in between a length of chain. In the very center was a small scallop shell, tinged with a pink hue. Tea was amazed as she realized what all this meant. _I am Atemu's…special someone?_ she thought, _He loves me?_ Somehow this revelation brings her joy. And as she thought of how sad Atemu looked, her heart ached. _Why does my heart hurt so much?_

* * *

Atemu did not know how long he ran. All that he could think about was his broken heart. At last, he reached a lonely beach, and he sank to his knees, crying. The images of the figures revealed in Pegasus' curiosity shop reappeared in his head. 

"**Suppose she gives her heart wholly to another man? If that should ever happen, that will act as a herald… for your funeral!"**

It was just like Pegasus had warned him, and Atemu cried even harder. Tea had given her heart to Seto. Just thinking about it breaks Atemu's heart even further. His days are now numbered, and even though it was quiet now, it won't be long before the sea would begin to call him. Soon he would enter the ocean, sink downward in drowning, and then his body would turn into foam on the sea and he would die.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26: Breaking Hearts and Tea's Confession

The following night, a banquet was set up on a ship sailing the high seas. Tea and her friends were on board, but somehow, the princess did not take part in the joyful atmosphere. She looked upon Atemu, who had also gotten on board. He was far away from her, and the look of sorrow was still etched across his face. Soon, he slowly walked behind the corner, and he never came back out. _My heart hurts so much to see him like this!_ Tea thought, _But why? Come to think of it, whenever I'm around him, I find myself blushing, and my heart feels like flying whenever he touches me. And now there's the fact that all this time, he is in love with me…_ Tea's eyes widened and she looked at the box containing her pendant. All those feelings for Atemu finally made sense. _Oh Divine Dragon! Can it really be?_ Tears formed in her eyes. It was true, she had finally found her special someone. She broke into a run, worrying Happy Lover enough to have him follow her. The whole time, her friends were watching her. 

"Tea's feeling so upset right now," Serenity said. "I wonder what happened yesterday?"

"Come to think of it," Mai said, "Atemu looked much worse. It's like he's losing his will to live."

"Something must have happened while he was trying to give her that gift." Mako reasoned, "And if I'm correct, it's got something to do with Seto Kaiba."

"That sleaze." Joey mumbled in anger. Mahaado, who had once again taken human form along with Mana, stepped up with a serious look on his face.

"I think it's time we have a talk with the princess." he said, "By the looks of it, she seems overwhelmed by the fact that she's finally figured something out."

"She has?" Tristan exclaimed, "Well what are we waiting for, let's go?"

"I'm with you Tristan!" Joey said. He and Tristan started running in the direction Tea went, and they were soon followed by Mako, Mahaado and Mana. Mai, Serenity, and Duke chose to stay behind.

"I sure hope they get the answers they need." Duke said, "And for Atemu's sake too."

* * *

Atemu stood for a long time in that lonely space on the deck of the ship. Kuriboh was trying his best to cheer him up, but it was to no avail. The tears continued to cascade down Atemu's cheeks. During the time he walked around on the deck, his feet had been assaulted with agony that was by this time almost unbearable. But this time, he could not feel that pain; there was a pain that was even stronger, more overwhelming, and that pain lies in his heart. He soon heard footsteps coming towards him, and he looked up. It was Seto Kaiba. Atemu gave a glare, though the tears continued to flow from his eyes.

"What did I tell you Atemu?" Seto said with a smirk, "I told you I'd get the girl in the end. Soon she's going to tell the whole world of her love for me. She wouldn't even bother to mention you." Anger and sorrow filled Atemu's heart and he opened his mouth to scream curses at the blue eyed knight. The whole time, his lips moved, but there was no sound at all. The tears continued to flow and Atemu slammed his fist against the wall, sinking down to the floor as Seto laughed at him. "Go ahead, try and tell me that you and Tea are meant to be together." Seto mocked, "Oh, that's right. You can't! So why bother? It's not like she'll bother talking with someone who can't give her replies. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find my precious princess and spend some good quality time with her. Good riddance." Seto walked away, leaving Atemu to cry silently on the floor, his knees slightly in front of his chest and each forearm resting limply on them in. All this time Atemu just wanted to strike Seto, or even take a sword to cut off his head. But what good would that do? It's not going to change anything. _What does Tea see in him anyway?_ Atemu thought, _I treat her with deep respect, I give her comfort when she's sad, and when she's taken by surprise by the enemy, I come and protect her! What does Seto have that I don't?_ He bowed down his head, knowing the answer. _A voice. That's what he has. With a voice, __**he**__ can tell her how much he loves her. I have no ability to say anything, and now I'll never have that ability again._ Atemu thought back to all the things that his family had told them when they first learned that he had fallen in love with Princess Tea. 

"**Befriending a human is one thing. But falling in love with one is a different matter." Solomon came closer to his grandson, saying, "I'm afraid that such a romance would never work."**

"**I've head of so many sad love stories that involve a relationship between merfolk and humans, and I don't want you to suffer the same fate."**

"**I hate to disappoint you Atemu," Ishizu said, "but this romance of yours will never work out."**

"**Tough luck Bro," Marik said smugly, "it's never gonna happen."**

"**This romance would only lead to disaster."**

Atemu sobbed harder as his heart broke further. _You were right about this romance._ he thought, _Why? Why didn't I listen to you?_ It did not take long before he heard a ringing sound coming from the ocean. Atemu slowly looked up and listened. _The sea is calling me. It's strange, that call is very weak._ Atemu stared at the ocean view and sighed. _Nevertheless, I will heed this call before it gets any stronger. As I have told Pegasus, if I had to choose between having to die and having to live without my Lady, I choose death._ Slowly Atemu stood up. Kuriboh, realizing what was happening, began to panic, and he rushed to get help even as Atemu began to walk toward the side of the deck. 

* * *

Under the sea, Kisara's eyes suddenly widened and she gasped. 

"Kisara, what's up?" Marik asked in concern.

"It's Atemu! He's in danger!" Kisara shouted. 

"WHAT?" Ishizu and Marik yelled in shock, then Ishizu started swimming.

"Oh no! We have to get to him and fast!" she yelled.

"We're right behind you Sis!" Marik yelled as he and Kisara followed their elder sister to the Realm Above in top speed.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the ship, Tea was sitting in a small corner, staring at her gift. There were tears in her eyes, for she now knew what she was feeling the whole time. All of this was so overwhelming to her. Happy Lover didn't know what to do to make her feel better. Luckily for Tea, a certain group of friends stepped up towards her.

"Yo, Tea." Joey said softly. "What's wrong?"

Tea wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh, guys. I'm glad you're here." She said, "My heart is feeling overwhelmed right now."

"What's making your heart feel this way? It's okay to tell us." Mana assured. 

Tea sighed before saying, "I was thinking to myself…Why haven't I noticed it before?"

"Notice what Tea?" Tristan said, eager to help. She started crying again.

"It's through this gift in my hand that I know how Atemu feels about me." Tea said, holding the pendant in its box, "And it's because of this gift that everything makes sense now! I blush every time I look at him, and when he touches me I feel like flying. And now my heart is in pain, because Atemu is very sad for some reason." She continued to cry, before she blurted out, "I know now! I know what I've been feeling the whole time! I… I've fallen in love with Atemu! I'm in love with him all along!" Mahaado and Mana were amazed at what they heard. Atemu has managed win Tea's heart and in doing so, he proved his ocean friends and family wrong about this romance! So why was he so sad? The Dark Magician placed a hand on the princess' shoulder.

"As you have figured out, Atemu loves you the same way." Mahaado explained, "In fact, he loves you so much he was willing to sacrifice his original shape so he can be with you."

"Original shape?" Tea said in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

"Atemu planned on telling you this, but he didn't get a chance to. You see, he was once a merman. Specifically, the Crown Prince of the Deep Dwellers. Of course, Mana and I knew this because we're originally merfolk too."

"Atemu's a prince?" Joey said in shock.

"Aw man!" Tristan said in exasperation, "He didn't tell us about that!" Tea was just as surprised for a different reason.

"That's why he was homeless when I found him at the beach." She said in a soft voice, "His old home was the sea itself, and he's willing to leave it and his old life behind to be with me." 

"He needs you now more than ever Your Highness." Mana said, "Besides he doesn't know how you feel yet, and he looks as though he's losing his will to live." Tea's eyes widened in horror as she remembered what happened last night, how she was about to get a kiss from Seto when she heard Atemu running away, and how she saw that he was in tears when he left. 

"Oh Divine Dragon! He saw me with Seto! He didn't know that I was resisting him, and he thought I had given my heart to **him**!" Tea sobbed harder than ever before saying, "I've broken Atemu's heart without even meaning to! What am I going to do now?"

"There's only one thing to set things straight." Mana replied calmly, "Confess your love for him. Tell him that he is your special someone. He'll realize the truth then." The princess calmed down, and she stood up.

"You're right, Mana." Tea said, "I need to tell him. I can't bear to imagine not being able to relax without the warmth of his embrace." That was when Tea stood in her tracks. _That warm feeling!_ she thought, _Now I remember where I felt it before! It was during that day of the storm, when I was drowning in the stormy sea. A Fiend Kraken was dragging me down to do it, intending to make me its dinner, when a blur came along and freed me from its grasp. Then it wrapped its arms around me in that warm embrace before it all turned black. The only other time I felt that warmth was at the fairies' lake, when Atemu was embracing me under the tree._ The more Tea thought about it, the more the pieces came together like a puzzle. That blur she remembered seeing had become more clear to her vision too, and it took the shape of a tri-colored merman with a spear. A merman with a surprisingly familiar face. 

"What's up Tea?" Joey asked, "Why did you stop?" She slowly turned her head towards her friends.

"Guys," she said in a hushed tone, "I just figured out how I survived the storm…!" At that moment, Kuriboh came bouncing in the scene with a panicked look in his eyes. Happy Lover came to him, asking what was wrong.

"Kuriboh? What's the matter?" Tristan asked in concern. The reply they got was Happy Lover screeching in horror. Mana's eyes widened in horror as well.

"I know what these two are saying!" she yelled, "It's Atemu! He's going to throw himself overboard and kill himself!" 

"Oh Divine Dragon, No!" Tea screamed in horror, and she started running, "We have to stop him! Lead the way Kuriboh!" Kuriboh was happy to oblige and he bounced ahead so she and Happy Lover could follow. The other four started running too, and Mahaado grew worried.

"I was worried that something like this would happen!" Mahaado shouted, "Atemu's thinking that he failed to win Tea's love."

"Joey, I have a plan," Tristan shouted, "I he falls into the water, you go after him and fish him out!"

"That's impossible with the spell he's under!" Mako roared.

"What do you mean impossible?" Joey yelled.

"Don't you remember?" Mako shouted, "Atemu remains human permanently if he wins the heart of the princess, but he doesn't realize he's succeeded yet! And if that wasn't bad enough, he's actually thinking that he **failed** because he saw the princess with Seto, so if he falls into the water in his condition of heartbreak, he'll turn into sea foam and die in a matter of seconds!"

"WHAT?" Joey and Tristan yelled in horror. 

"Well in that case we gotta keep him from falling in the first place!" Joey shouted.

"I'm right behind ya, Joey!" Tristan shouted as they ran, "I only hope we're not too late!" 


	28. Chapter 28

Note: I would like to thank everyone for giving me such wonderful reviews, Especially raygypsy714 and Dancers and Pharaohs, who were reading this to the very end! To all of my fans, this is the moment you've been waiting for!

Chapter 27: Proving them Wrong

The three Deep Dwellers were swimming as fast as their tails were carrying them, all with one young man in mind. 

"Where's that ship?" Marik shouted in a panic, "It's gotta be around here somewhere!"

"Well in either case, we have to hurry!" Kisara shouted, "I don't know how I know, or even sensed it for that matter, but Atemu's life is threatened even as I speak! Ah! Look, there's the ship!" Sure enough, there was that ship sailing across the surface of the ocean. The threesome swam to get closer, but when they did, imagine their horror when they saw their brother climbing over the rails of the ship. 

"Oh no! Atemu's getting ready to kill himself!" Ishizu gasped.

"Atemu, no! Stop!" Kisara shouted to her big brother.

"Don't do it Bro!" Marik yelled, and all three merfolk shouted their pleas for Atemu to stop. But Atemu's heartbreak was so great that he did not see his siblings, nor did he hear their desperate pleas. As he positioned himself so that he was standing on the edge of the ship, holding on to the rails, he allowed his mind to wander. _Soon, I will depart to the afterlife._ he thought, _Then all the pain, all the sorrow, all of it will be over._ Tears flowed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes and thought back to all of the happy memories he had with his Lady and her friends. Images swirled around in his head. He thinks of the events of the Spring Festival, and his first dance with Tea. The images of his training in the art of the sword burned into his mind. He recalls his first ride on the dragon Slifer, and the dragon race he won the following day. His most precious memory is his date with his Lady spent at the fairies' lake, a memory he will cherish forever. Then there was the sword duel against Seto, and the battle with Bakura and his minions. After that, came his baptism into Bahamut's faith, and his knighting with Tea's blessing. _I will never forget any of those times I spent here in this world._ Atemu thought, _But now, it all comes down to this. So Bahamut, please forgive me for doing this, as I will be joining you soon in this way._ His memory shifts to the figure of himself revealed over Pegasus' cauldron. The agony it suffered as its body dissolved into foam on the sea still haunted him. Now he will soon suffer the same fate as that figure. He no longer cared. In comparison to his broken heart, death seems but a bliss to him. Slowly, he lifted his hands away from the rail of the ship, and stretched his arms outward. _Goodbye Tea. You will always be a part of my fondest memories. For even though you do not love me, I still love you with all my heart. I always have, my Lady, and I always will love you… even in death._ Just then, Tea and her friends were quickly approaching. 

"Atemu, hang on!" Tea shouted, "I'm coming!" Kuriboh and Happy Lover stopped and screeched in horror. Tea's eyes widened and she grew pale as she saw the man she loves on the edge of the ship, ready to throw himself overboard to his doom. The others saw it too, and they were just as horrified. 

"ATEMU!" Joey shouted, and started rushing towards him, but at that moment, Atemu allowed himself to drop toward the sea.

"ATEMU! NOOOOO!" Tea screamed, running to where Atemu was. Soon his feet left behind the side of the ship, and now he was falling. Falling toward the sea, falling to his death. Everything seemed to slow down as he went down toward the ocean below him, and the tears continued to flow. He kept falling, falling…then suddenly, before he even realized it, he stopped in midair. His eyes jerked open, and he found himself literally hanging upside down, looking downward, and finally noticing his siblings, all of whom had an astonished look on their faces. Soon he noticed that something was grabbing him by his right foot. _What happened?_ he thought, _Why did I stop?_ Just then, he heard a familiar pair of squealing noises, and slowly, he maneuvered his body in order to look up. He was astonished at what he saw. There, holding onto his cloak as hard as they could, was Kuriboh and Happy Lover. But what he saw by those two little monsters astonished him even more, for holding him by the ankles of his right foot was…! _Tea?_ Atemu thought with wide eyes. He could not believe it at first, but lo and behold there was his Lady! And she was doing her very best to keep him from falling! "Atemu! I got you!" she said with tears in her eyes. The cloak began to tear and Tea could feel Atemu's ankle slipping from her hands. "Guys!" she shouted, "I'm losing my grip!"

"We'll help you Tea!" Joey shouted, and he and Tristan rushed forward just in time to grab hold of Atemu's foot just before he slipped out of her hands. Soon Mako ran over and reached out towards him.

"Atemu! Grab hold of my hand!" he shouted to him. At first, Atemu hesitated. "C'mon!" Mako shouted again. Atemu looked at the fisherman, then at the princess holding on to him. She was weeping, as if her own heart was being broken. How it pained him to see her that way! And at that moment, he felt a tiny spark of hope light up in his heart. Looking back towards Mako, he swung himself upwards until he grabbed the fisherman's hand. Slowly the group pulled him up onto the side of the deck. Holding him firmly, they helped him climb over the rail and before long he was back on board. Tea hugged him tight as he sank to the floor on his knees, and she cried on his shoulders for a short while. Atemu did nothing but look at his Lady as she did so, while the others around him breathed sighs of relief. When she became calm, Atemu looked up at his friends.

"Atemu!" Mana gasped, "Don't scare us like that!"

"Yeah man, we almost lost you!" Tristan said in as hushed tone. Slowly Tea lifted her head off of the Prince's shoulders and looked at the others.

"Can you go where we can't see you?" Tea asked, "I want to talk with Atemu one on one."

Mahaado nodded, and he turned to the others and said, "Come now, we must let them have a bit of privacy." And so they moved out of the sight of the couple, but they didn't go far, for though they didn't want to interrupt the upcoming conversation, they did want to listen in. Once Tea could not see them, she faced Atemu.

"Atemu," she said, "there is something I've been meaning to tell you. I know… that you were once a merman." Atemu was shocked at this, and was almost at the verge of tears again when Tea continued. "But I don't care what you used to be. It doesn't matter if your were a merman or a human, you are the most wonderful person I have ever known. Just now, I figured out how I survived that storm." She held Atemu's hands before the tears began to stream down her eyes, and the former merman became astonished at what she said next. Even Joey and Tristan gasped at this revelation. "It was because of you, Atemu! You saved my life! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today! And now you sacrificed your life as a merman, becoming human so you can come back to me, to be with me." She paused as she took out a familiar box and showed it to Atemu, and he stared at it in amazement. "This is the first time I have ever received a gift like this. Is it true? Are you really in love with me, like you said on that box?" Atemu slowly nodded, partially afraid of how she would react. "Well, you know what?" she said in a hushed tone with a smile, "I'm so very happy to know that I am your special someone! Because… in the very same way, I love you too!" Atemu's eyes widened in great astonishment. Tea placed a hand on his face, caressing his cheek to wipe a tear that was flowing down. "Yes, you heard right!" she said, turning serious, "Seto Kaiba is **not** my special someone! I never even took that kiss last night, nor did I want it! It's because my heart already knows who I really love! It knew all along… that my special someone is you, Atemu! That's why I can't bear to lose you! I would rather be dead myself that live without you!" Atemu stared at her, before slowly as the truth sank in, he started smiling again. The tears continued to flow, but they were no longer tears of sorrow. They were tears of joy. Tea was also crying tears of joy, and she took the pendant out of the small golden box and held it out for him to hold. "Can you… grant me this request, and put this pendant around my neck?" Atemu held out the scallop shell pendant, then maneuvered around her neck and fastened it to secure it. It looked so beautiful on her when he was done, and the two of them stared into each others' eyes before they wrapped themselves in each other's loving embrace. "It is that warm feeling you gave me that kept me alive that day of the storm." Tea said to him, "Just as it keeps me alive today." Atemu's joy knew no boundaries. If there was one thing that turned into foam on the sea in his place, it was his despair, for through his Lady's loving touch, his broken heart was mended instantly. In his embrace, he forgot about the pain in his feet, and he forgot that he did not have a voice. All that mattered was the fact that Tea loves him back. As it turned out, his friends and family from the ocean were wrong after all, and now he knows that he has proved them wrong! _I take it all back,_ Atemu thought happily, _I'm glad I didn't listen to you!_ The others watched the romantic scene, feeling the urge to say "Awww." at the sweet bliss of it all.

"So Mahaado," Joey said, "Now that Atemu has won Tea's heart and they're a couple now, does that mean he's a permanent human now?" Mahaado looked at him and smiled.

"Yes." he said, "From now on, he will live as a human permanently. Rest assured, he'll never turn into sea foam when he enters the ocean now, and he never will turn into sea foam in the future." Although they did not see everything that was going on, Atemu's siblings were able to hear the whole thing. 

"He…did it!" Kisara gasped in astonishment. She soon started smiling, as did her other two elder siblings. 

"Atemu was right!" Ishizu said, and she started giggling, "He and the human princess look so cute! They really do make such a wonderful couple!"

"Aw man! I'm jealous of him for a different reason now!" Marik whined suddenly, "I WANT A GIRLFRIEND TOO!" The mermaids only laughed at his comment.

* * *

In his curiosity shop under the sea, Pegasus was watching the whole love scene with his crystal ball.

"Atemu Boy," said Pegasus, "It takes a mighty Sea Mage like myself to admit that he was wrong. But… as it turned out, I was wrong about your romance with the human girl, all along. You and Tea Girl really are meant to be together." Pegasus soon gave a gentle smile. "That fact alone actually brings joy to me. For the first time since Cecilia's death, I feel at peace with myself." Then the sea mage raised a hand, and snapped his webbed fingers. Sparks of electrical power covered his hand, before a small shockwave pulsed through the ocean. "As I have said before, I am a merman of my word." Pegasus smiled at the happy couple in the crystal ball. "May you and Princess Tea live the rest of your lives in happiness."

* * *

Back on the ship, Atemu helped the princess up and they walked hand in hand towards their friends. Atemu was surprised, and delighted, to find that his feet no longer hurt with each step. But for the time he brushed that thought aside, for they are in the presence of friends. 

"Do you guys feel better now?" Mako asked. Tea nodded. They were more than better, that's for sure. She turned to face Atemu once again. 

"Atemu, I am in your debt." she said to him, "You saved me from a watery grave, and when you came to this world you helped make it a better place to live in, and you gave me the gift of your undying love. I don't know how else to do this, so for the moment, all I could do is say… thank you."

Atemu shook his head, the opened his mouth to speak. It turned out that he still forgot that he didn't have a voice, but this time, it was a good thing. For at that very moment, something extraordinary happened.

"No." Atemu said, "Thank **you**." He soon gasped in surprise, as did Tea, who was taken aback by what she had heard. Joey and Tristan were gawking at this too.

"Wha--! Am I hearing things?" Joey shouted. Mako, Mahaado and Mana stared at their friend in amazement. Those were the first words they had ever heard him speak since he first became human! In the ocean by the ship, the three Deep Dwellers were just as surprised.

"By the gods of the sea!" Marik yelled to the top of his gills, "Is that what I think it is?" Tea and Atemu stared at each other with a surprised look on their faces. After a short pause in this way, Tea found the courage to speak up.

"Atemu?" she asked him.

"Tea?" Atemu responded, and he covered his mouth with one hand in surprise as if he were thinking 'there it is again!' He slowly took his hand off of his mouth and touched his throat with it. All the pieces came together, and he realized that what was lost to him had now been restored, just as Pegasus had promised. As he let his hand slowly drop away from his throat, a smile formed on his lips, and he began to laugh in joy. For the first time since he became a human, his laughter actually made a sound, and Tea began to smile. The others followed in suit, realizing that what they were hearing is real. "I don't believe it!" Atemu cried out in joy, "I can talk! I can talk again!" 

"YEAH, ATEMU!" Joey cheered as he ran over and glomped his friend.

"Group hug!" Mana announced, and the entire group took part. Even the dignified Mahaado went over and gave his childhood friend a brotherly hug. 

"Thank you, all of you!" Atemu said, and he broke the hug to face the two humans that have been there to help. "Joey, Tristan, I wouldn't have been able to do all of this without you guys!"

"Hey, that's what friends are for!" Tristan said, giving the victory sign with his two fingers, "I happy to know you won't be writing on people's hands anymore!"

"Glad to hear that you got your voice back my friend!" Mako said, giving Atemu a death-grip hug.

"Mako, I appreciate your happiness, but you don't have to squeeze the life out of me after all that just happened!" Atemu managed to say. Mako let go in an instant, feeling very embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry about that." He said sheepishly. Mana giggled at the scene, thinking about how hilarious it turned out to be.

"Atemu, come on to the main deck with us." Joey said. "When we get there, I want you to keep quiet until the time is right. Kaiba's gonna be in for a big surprise!" 

"Sounds like a plan." Atemu said, smirking. 

"This might also be a good time to announce our love to the world." Tea said, "I think it's time Seto needs gets the message."

"All right then let's get going!" Joey declared, skipping about. Tristan, Mako, Mahaado and Mana followed, but Atemu and Tea stayed behind with Kuriboh and Happy Lover. Tea looked deep in her beloved's eyes, smiling.

"Atemu, I knew that you would get your voice back." she said to him, "But I'm amazed! This is the first time I have ever heard you speak." She then came closer to him. "Did I mention that you have the most beautiful voice that a man has ever been gifted with?" 

Atemu smiled, and wrapped his arms around his Lady. "You know Tea, that's the first time any human has ever told me that." And soon Atemu leaned forward, and his lips made contact with Tea's in a passionate kiss. This time, Tea did not give any resistance, for this is the kiss that she always wanted. After a single minute, they broke the kiss to breathe, just in time to hear Joey calling to them.

"Hey you lovebirds!" he shouted, "We're waiting for ya!"

"All right, we're coming!" Tea giggled, and she and Atemu went to join their friends hand in hand. Back in the water, the siblings watched as their brother went away to the main deck.

"Aww, how romantic!" Ishizu sighed happily.

"And not only that, Atemu's got his voice back." Marik said. He looked over to Kisara. "Hey Sis, you look like you're in dreamland right now." Kisara continued to stare at the happy scene before her. Finally, she spoke.

"I hope I find my special someone too." she said, "Then I'll be as happy with him as Atemu is happy with the human princess."

"You'll find him. In the meantime, wanna explore the ship?" Marik suggested.

"Really?" Kisara shouted in excitement, "THANK YOU!" she glomped Marik briefly before she started swimming to a different side of the ship. 

"I hope Atemu doesn't mind about this." Marik mumbled, and he heard Ishizu giggle.

"Don't worry, he won't." she said. And so the two merfolk swam to catch up with their enthusiastic sister.

The End…For Now 

Note: That's right! There's going to be a sequel! Once I post it up, it's going to take a while to update, because I just got started and I am in the process of writing it even as I speak! I may even encounter my first taste of writer's block, so be patient with me, all right? Again, thank you for your support in my story, and check out what else I've written too! See ya later!


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